With Me Through Adversity
by Rac4hel414
Summary: The last thing I needed was another complication, after everything I've been through, and everything I've put my family and friends through. And yet, somehow, you just made things simpler. Not easier, but simpler...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my new story. It's co-written with ZZ9PluralZAlpha. Thank you for helping me with this :)

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Troy groaned, screwing his face up and wincing as the dull aches along his sides and backs throbbed with sharper pain, reacting to him contorting to a new angle. Heedless of the pain, He pushed his hands into his hips and arched his back further, determined to ease a few of the kinks from his seized-up joints. He had been working too hard, he knew, for too long. Yes, the fence needed building, and fixing up in a few places, but it wasn't smart to do too much physical labour in such high temperatures, especially when he hadn't been drinking enough, either.

Still, it was done now, and Troy felt able to take a step back and feel proud of himself, which was something he hadn't felt in a long time. The fence was a good piece of work, he knew: straight and sturdy, clear lines: it wasn't coming down in a hurry. He pulled the cap off his water bottle, took a swig, and grimaced at the sky. The vast expanse of sky above the ranch, normally a blue so deep it didn't look quite real, today thrummed an annoying, off-white glow, the colour of a headache. It was not a nice day: everything was too hot, and the heat was sapping the energy from everything. Even the horses were grazing slowly and lazily, and were irritable with all the staff. And it didn't look like there'd be a break in the weather to relieve the tension any time soon.

His satisfied smile, which had crept stealthily across his face as he surveyed his handiwork, faded as he wondered what to do next. As impossible as it seemed, the ranch was running out of jobs for him to do, and he needed to keep busy. He knew it wasn't fair on his Dad, Jack, or on the other staff working there, but for the moment at least, Troy needed to keep busy, to keep his mind away from certain subjects, and mostly to keep himself exhausted enough that his sleep went untroubled by dreams. Because in his dreams, Troy could only watch his wife die.

He sighed, patted a horse that had bothered to come close to him, and began the long walk back to the ranch, to what was left of his family, and to his son. The thought of little Kaden, nearly three now, brought a small smile back to his face. Kaden, he realised, made everything worth it. His pace increased ever so slightly.

~*~

The ranch was a prosperous, sprawling complex, really. With the amount of money his father had earned through building it up, he had been able to add considerably to the house which Jack and Michael, his younger brother, lived in. Now there was also the house which Troy and Kaden lived in and a guest house. Along with that, there were other buildings where farming and work equipment was kept for the animals and crops. Troy owned the smaller of the houses and had rightfully bought it from Jack for himself, Eloise and Kaden to live in. Troy had grown up on the ranch, just like Michael had done and Jack before them, so Troy wanted Kaden to grow up just like them.

Troy had grown up on the working ranch, but basketball had also always been very important to his life. Jack was the coach at the local high school, and it had been pretty much a given since Troy was born that he'd be the captain of the basketball team and the playmaker and the most popular guy in school; it was like his heritage, or something. He smiled when he thought of how Michael was exactly like he used to be. Although basketball was still important to him – he played regularly with Jack, Michael and even Kaden – he felt the reason he was alive was to help animals. He was a veterinarian at a small local surgery and on the ranch. It had been his dream ever since he saw a vet treat one of the horses he owned.

As he climbed the wooden porch steps, which creaked underneath his weight, he pulled his protective gloves off and threw them carelessly onto the floor by the glass door. He pulled his muddy boots off and set them by his gloves. With the fence built, and his body sore and aching, all he needed now was a long, relaxing shower. Of course, being a widowed husband with a three year old son, it was kind of impossible. But, Troy knew that Kaden was like his own personal relaxing shower that was always there. Even if his back and legs were bruised and throbbing, he would soon forget about it if he spent time with Kaden.

He pushed the door open and smiled to himself. His house always felt like he was where he was supposed to be. Despite losing his wife, he had Kaden. That meant everything to him. He still had a part of her. Actually, he still had a lot of her. Kaden had her blonde hair, her cheeky smile, her love of ice cream, heck, even her smell. The only thing Kaden had inherited from Troy was his gentle blue eyes, which had been the sign of a true Bolton for generations.

It was a relief to get into the cool, shadowy house after the oppressive heat of the day, but Troy noted immediately that it wasn't quite as much of a relief as it should be. There was tension in the air, and troy thought he could probably guess why. It wasn't immediate, though, not in his house. The main house... that was the source of it. As had become a kind of preparation ritual for him for the stresses involved in his life, he made his way quickly to the little room above the kitchen, next to his own. Kaden's room was empty, just as it should be, but he had always found that being here helped him to relax. Whatever the reason for the tension in the house, it wasn't present in this tiny oasis of calm. He could take a kind of strength from that.

As always, he avoided glancing at the photo of Kaden's mother, which was placed prominently where the little boy could see it when he woke up. Troy wasn't entirely sure why he bothered with the evasion, though. It wasn't like he didn't see Eloise whenever he closed his eyes. And, considering that he usually saw her as he last did, in pain and suffering greatly for the sake of their child, he might even welcome the sight of her, beautiful and 21, laughing at him as she posed. He remembered that day, sometimes: everything had been perfect. They were so in love, had been since they were sixteen, and now were married and so happy. He had thought they would have eternity together.

He blinked, concentrating on not altering the expression on his face, and turned back to the stairs. He headed for the kitchen, knowing that would be where everyone was. The house was the hub of the ranch, from where everyone who worked there set out to work, and to where they all returned at the end of the day before heading home, and the kitchen was the centre of the house in the same way. It was where everything happened, for as long as troy could remember.

He stopped off on the way in the den of the main house. The room was good, but it couldn't hold a candle to the real thing. He needed his son, now.

"Kaden!" The voice was stern, but Troy could hear the notes of amusement and affection present, and a grin ghosted over his face.

He rolled his eyes to himself and peeked around the doorframe. He smiled when he saw Kaden playing on the floor with Lucille, a co-worker on the ranch. Kaden was playing with his toy trucks and kept pushing them into Lucille's hands. He lifted his blonde head and grinned at Troy. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled over to the doorway. "Daddy!" he yelled out happily as he hugged Troy's legs.

Troy bent down and picked him up, resting him on his hip and walking into the den. He extended his free hand to Lucille and helped her to her feet. "Thank you so much, Lucy. I hope he hasn't been a terror." He ruffled his son's hair and kissed his forehead.

"He's never a terror. He's so sweet." She smiled warmly.

"I know," Troy whispered.

"I'd better go. I'll see you tomorrow. Tell Jack that I'll be a few minutes late, but not much," she said softly, her eyes never leaving Kaden all the time she was talking.

"Lucy, you've been working here since before I was born. If you turned up an hour late without telling us, we'd be fine with it. Sure, my dad would probably have a panic attack and call the police to report a missing person… it'll be fine. Now, go. Get some rest." Troy ordered softly.

Lucy smiled gratefully and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry about your parents, okay? Or Michael. And especially this little fella. Just worry about you." She kissed Kaden's forehead. "Bye, Kaden."

"Bye, Aunt Lucy," he said, waving frantically at the retreating back of the woman who had helped Troy through one of the hardest times of his life.

The twenty-six year old looked down at his son and smiled at him. "Shall we go and visit Grandpa, Granma and Uncle Mike?"

"Uncle Mike!" Kaden squealed excitedly.

Troy laughed at the little boy's enthusiasm as they moved through the house. Kaden loved everyone, and got equally excited over everyone, too. Troy wished, somehow, that he wouldn't lose that as he grew up. Not a realistic wish, he admitted to himself, but he found himself at least hoping that Kaden retained some of the amiable nature that was so obvious now.

"Yes, Uncle Mike. We'll go and pick him up from school soon, but I want to talk to Grandma and Grandpa first."

Kaden bubbled happily, while Troy's good mood faded a little. The tension he had felt earlier was increasing as they approached the Kitchen. He wasn't looking forward to this.

The kitchen was large and open plan, and the room focused on the massive circular table in the middle, the table that could seat an entire extended family or a large proportion of the ranch's workforce. Currently, it only sat Jack Bolton. Troy was shocked to realise that, at least in the low light, and with his face creased in a sad frown, his father looked old. Jack had always been such a lively man, always moving around the ranch or jogging up and down the basketball court: it seemed impossible that such a person could be so still, and so defeated too.

Meaghan Bolton was leaning against one of the counters, nursing a mug of coffee in her hands and her eyes were narrowed, staring intently at a small stack of papers piled on the table in front of Jack. It didn't miss Troy's notice, either, that she was as far from Jack as it was possible to be in that room. His heart sank a little.

Both grandparents caught sight of the newcomers at the same time, and Troy noticed again the difference in their reactions. Jack's frown transformed into a wide smile, and he instantly got up, reaching out for his grandson. Kaden reached back, and Troy handed him over with a tired smile at his Dad. Meaghan didn't move at all, but her already thing mouth tightened further. Troy hated being part of the reason for their break up, which everyone knew was inevitable now. He hated that it was his fault that a long and happy marriage was ending. And he hated that all of them were suffering so much because of it.

He cleared his throat, his eyes on his mother. "What's going on?"

Her eyes snapped to his. "Your father," she almost hissed the word, "is finally making it official. He's hired a lawyer. Finally getting rid of me."

Jack winced, Kaden held over his shoulder and bouncing, eliciting beautiful giggles from the toddler. "Meaghan, that's not fair. You've wanted this for months, I know that. And I'm sorry I've taken so long over this, but I didn't want to give up. Just a few more weeks, and you'll have what you want."

The calm facade broke. "Oh, so this is my fault? It's my fault you're cheating on me? My fault the entire stinking place is conspiring against me? My fault-"

"Mum, stop it," Troy interrupted, frowning at her. "For the millionth time, Dad has never cheated on you. None of us is conspiring against you. Stop being so damn paranoid." It was a testament to his poor mood that he had used language like that in front of his son.

Meaghan set the coffee down hard and advanced on him, the anger rolling off her in waves. "Oh, paranoid am I? Get off your damn high horse, Troy, because you know just as well as I do whose fault this really is."

Troy shut down immediately, his face growing blank and calm, his normally clear blue eyes gaining an icy tint. Kaden saw this and grew quiet. He didn't like it when his daddy went away like this. Jack stepped forward.

"That's too far, Meg," he stated firmly, and she took a step back despite herself. "You will not blame this on Troy. He has done nothing wrong, done nothing to deserve this. I think you had better leave."

Meaghan made a sound half-way to a growl, and strode out of the room. Troy took a deep breath, coming back into himself, and his eyes automatically sought out Kaden's. His son was supported on Jack's shoulder, looking somewhat wild-eyed, and Troy hastened to take him from his grandfather and give him a cuddle.

"Don't worry K, I'm here. I'm back." Troy knew that Kaden hated it when he blanked himself up like that, and was trying to stop it, but by now it was automatic. Whenever someone brought up Eloise's death, or the sad series of events that had led to his parents' ensuing divorce, he just couldn't face it and walled himself off. He wasn't himself at those times, and who he became scared himself just as much as it did Kaden.

"You ok, son?" Jack's voice was both concerned and tired, and Troy turned to give his father a reassuring nod, which Jack acknowledged gratefully. "Try not to let her get to you. I know it must be difficult, but it looks like she won't be around that much longer. She was saying today that she's got a job starting in a couple of months, in Chicago of all places. That's why we're pushing ahead with the divorce."

"And hired a lawyer already?" Troy kept his voice soft for Kaden's sake, but couldn't completely mask the guilt present there. Jack laid an arm on his son's shoulder, but concentrated on the question, rather than what he had discerned.

"I thought you'd guess. You do remember Kelsi telling us that her friend Gabriella from New York is moving here to set up a law practice? We're going to be her first case."

Troy grinned at the memory of the conversation. Kelsi Neilson was probably Troy's closest friend, even closer than Chad Danforth, and it was unusual for the small, quiet girl to get so enthusiastic about something other than music or her boyfriend, Jason. It seemed that, in her third year at Julliard College of performing arts in New York City, she had shared a small apartment with this girl, one Gabriella Montez, a law student at Columbia. They had kept in touch, and when Gabriella had announced her intention to move to literally the other end of the country, Kelsi had been ecstatic.

"That's cool, Dad. From what Kelsi was saying, she's really smart. I'm sure she'll do you proud."

Jack sighed. It hurt that he was now forced into this combative situation with the woman that he loved, but he wasn't even certain of that any more. Did he love her? He couldn't tell, now. She seemed like a different person. Still, it seemed wrong, somehow, to hope to get the best of her in some way. He looked at his watch.

"Troy, you'd better get going. Michael's going to be ready soon. You taking Kaden?"

Troy grinned. "I don't think he'd forgive me if I didn't."

Jack quirked an eyebrow as Troy moved towards the door, grabbing the keys of his station wagon. "Mike or Kaden?"

Troy let out a bark of laughter as he left.

"Pick one!"

~*~

Troy pulled his truck to a stop and smiled to himself nostalgically. He had been coming to this school since he was born. Even before he attended high school, Meaghan had, somewhat reluctantly he now realised, taken him to pick Jack up from work and to see the Wildcat basketball games. Those had been simpler times. When the most complicated thing he came across was math. But, now that he was older and he looked back on his life, things had just been building up over the years. He was simply the straw that broke the camel's back.

His high school years had been okay, too. He liked school. He needed school. Not only was it somewhere he escaped the building arguments between his parents, Eloise was there. And he knew he needed straight As to get into vet school so he defied the stereotype of a jock and had been Valedictorian. Those were the days. He had friends, good grades, and a beautiful girlfriend who he was head over heels in love with and 'as helpless as a puppy when she's around' according to Chad.

Too bad really good things happen in the blink of an eye.

Troy turned the volume up slightly on the radio and heard his favourite song by Rascal Flatts playing. He looked over at Kaden who was looking intently out of the windscreen, looking out for Michael, and bouncing rhythmically in his booster seat. Kaden knew this song as well as Troy did, probably _better_ than Troy did. Troy sang him to sleep every night with this song and it never failed. If Kaden had his Wah-Wah bear, his nightlight and Troy was singing this song, he was out like a light.

Kaden looked over to his father and smiled. "Daddy, can you unclick my thing, please?" He asked sweetly, pointing to the buckle which secured his seatbelt.

Troy unbuckled his own seatbelt and unstrapped Kaden. He pulled him over to sit on his lap and brushed his golden hair from his eyes. "You okay, Kaden?"

Kaden nodded happily. "When's Uncle Mike coming?"

Troy checked his watch. "In about five minutes."

Kaden giggled with excitement and twisted his head to look out of the window. "I like this song, Daddy."

Troy felt his eyes water and leaned forward to kiss his son's head. "Me too. Shall we wait outside?"

Kaden nodded enthusiastically and allowed Troy to help him out of the car. Troy had rolled the window down so when he leaned against the door with Kaden resting on his hip, they could both still hear the beautiful song that was playing. "Daddy?"

Troy smiled down at Kaden. "Yeah, buddy?"

"You're my best friend." He gave his father a toothy smile.

Troy smiled brightly at the simple compliment. "Thank you, Kaden. You're my best friend, too."

"I thought Auntie Kelsi was your best friend?" He asked, scrunching his nose up cutely.

Troy chuckled. "She is. But, you'll always come first." Troy whispered. He kissed his son's forehead and began singing softly.

_Everyday, Everyday,_

_Everyday,_

_You save my life_

Kaden rested his head on Troy's shoulder and his breathing began to even out. "You, too." He muttered tiredly.

Troy smiled to himself as he rocked slowly from one foot to the other. It amazed him how he never grew tired of Kaden. Playing with him, listening to him, hearing him say 'I love you, Daddy' and even watching him sleep. He was all he had left of her. He released a quiet chuckle when he thought back to Eloise's pregnancy three years ago. She had been so excited. Not just because she and Troy were having a baby together but because Taylor, Chad's wife, had found out she was pregnant at the same time. The two women had been so excited. Neither couple had found out the sex of their children but they had already decided that they would be best friends no matter what. And, if by any chance, one was a girl and one was a boy, they were getting married. Their wedding was practically planned!

Troy suddenly smiled wider when he spotted a tall boy moving swiftly through the crowds of students towards them. "Kaden…" He sang softly. "Guess whose coming."

Kaden lifted his head and yawned sleepily. He suddenly became more awake and squirmed in his father's arms until he was set on the ground. "Uncle Mike!" He scurried away and ran straight into Michael's legs.

Michael, a tall muscular guy with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes just like Troy, picked Kaden up and ruffled his hair. He slung his bag more comfortably onto his shoulder and continued towards Troy. "How are you, Kaden?"

Kaden grinned brightly. "I'm good. I've been playing with Auntie Lucy today."

Michael looked at Troy. "Really? Where was Dad?"

Troy grew quiet, his smile faded and he folded his arms.

"Troy?" Michael stepped closer and looked into his eyes. "Tell me."

"You know, it's not important. Kaden, do you want some ice cream and then we can go and visit Naomi." Troy smiled at his son but he knew that Michael would see through it.

Michael sighed and reached past Troy to pull the door open, setting Kaden on the seat. "Just stay there for a second, okay?"

Kaden nodded faithfully, not wanting to disappoint either Troy or Michael. "Okay." He whispered.

Michael shut the door, allowing Kaden to dance happily to the radio. "Troy, what's going on?"

"Dad's hired a lawyer." He whispered.

"It's happening? Really? Are you sure?" Michael asked.

Troy nodded. "Yeah. Dad finally gave up." He moved his eyes to meet his brother's. "I'm sorry, Mike."

Michael nodded with understanding. "It's not your fault." He mumbled.

Troy shrugged. "She thinks so."

"Is Dad's lawyer Kelsi's friend?" Michael asked after a moment.

Troy nodded hesitantly. "Yes…why?"

"I was just thinking. Maybe she's hot." He said thoughtfully.

"Dude!" Troy exclaimed. "My three year old son is in the car. And you're only seventeen. She won't go out with you. It's not legal and guess what? She's a lawyer. She's supposed to keep the law! Besides, aren't lawyers supposed to be geeks?"

"Yeah, let Kelsi hear that." Michael joked.

Troy ruffled his hair and laughed. "Come on, let's get home, bro."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ummm...We hope you like it :)**

**Don't own HSM

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Gabriella wasn't one to feel depressed. She was always an optimist, finding good things in situations which people overlooked. But, she actually felt like crying and she wasn't watching _A Walk to Remember_. She strained her ears and heard Sharpay ordering Ryan and Kelsi where to hang _her_ pictures in _her _house. It was as if all of her years of optimism had just been for nothing. As a child, she was constantly smiling. Through high school, she was so organised that she never felt the pressure that regular teenagers did. Through college, she had simply kept her eyes on being a lawyer and simply coped with the work load.

She now realised that her tunnel vision of being a lawyer had caused her to simply take life as it came and not feel the true effects of it. Now that she was a lawyer – Sharpay told her she was the best lawyer in New York – life's complications suddenly seemed so much worse. It was like all of the complications she had ignored to some degree were now coming back at her at full force.

She'd actually fallen in love. Something she'd never considered important. Of course, she'd always wanted to be a mother but being a lawyer was her priority. She'd had her first boyfriend when she was sixteen and a couple since him. But, she'd never been that bothered about the break-ups which were always inevitable. The guy would grow tired of her constantly doing homework and would end things with her and she would honestly be okay with it.

Then Austin came along. She was a freshman at a Columbia and he was a sophomore. They met on campus whilst at the library and she fell for him. It was hard coming to terms with the fact that she had actually fallen in love with someone. She found someone that was verging on perfections. Sure, he had his flaws but to her he was perfect. Her parents liked him which was a miracle in itself.

She shook her head, getting rid of the haunting images and voices which kept repeating in her head like a CD on repeat. She knew her friends were trying to help her settle in but in all honesty…they weren't. She wanted her stuff in her places in her house. She had already stored her CDs and books alphabetically and set her furniture at the perfect angle to see the TV and the window. And now her friends – despite their best intentions – were probably ruining it.

She sat up on her bed and looked over towards her French balcony doors. Albuquerque was quiet. It was very different from the constant noise and hurriedness of the city. It was refreshing. She'd grown up in California and then went to New York to attend Columbia in New York and had basically grown up in the city.

She rose gracefully from her bed and stretched her stiff shoulders. After breaking down from the stress of moving to the other side of the country and everything which lead to her decision, Kelsi had suggested that she had a quiet lay down on her bed. This was why Kelsi was Gabriella's best friend: she always knew what to say to make her feel better. She softly made her way downstairs and walked into the lounge. She saw Ryan standing on a step ladder and hanging a picture of her parents on the wall behind the sofa. "Hey, this looks great."

Kelsi smiled and stepped forward. "You think so? We put your painting above the fireplace."

Gabriella smiled when she saw that Kelsi was right. Whilst she was at college, she, Kelsi and Sharpay had gone on many shopping trips and when she had gone in a sweet little antique shop, she had fallen in love with a large painting of a beach because it reminded her of California. "I love it." She whispered.

Kelsi wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed them. "You feeling better?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Kels."

"Don't worry about it." She said softly. "Just think: you've got your own law practice. Do you know how amazing it is to say my best friend owns a law practice? I mean, Troy is the best vet in Albuquerque and now you're the best lawyer. Oh, my god, my friends are so cool!" She squealed.

Sharpay gasped. "What about me?"

"And my other best friend is a fashion designer." Kelsi added hurriedly.

The three girls glanced at each other before they burst out laughing and joined each other in a group hug. They pulled back and Gabriella smiled brightly. "I love Albuquerque so much. Especially with you guys."

Ryan got down from the step ladder and walked over to them. "I have a feeling you're going to be squealing and gushing and acting like girls."

Sharpay smacked his arm and glared. "Ry!"

Ryan shrugged. "Gabs, I'm sorry. But, I've got a dance class I've got to teach so I've got to go." He kissed her cheek and smiled softly. "You know where I am."

She nodded and allowed him to see himself out. "Thanks for this, girls. It means a lot. I'm surprised, Shar. You managed to guess where I wanted each of the pictures."

The blonde girl, who seemed to have gained even pinker and sparkly clothes sine Gabriella last saw her, smiled proudly and smirked at Kelsi. "I told you she'd like it."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Yes, Sharpay, it's fabulous."

Kelsi laughed. "Don't get her started on fabulous, I beg you. You haven't seen Lava Springs yet. Hey, tomorrow, do you want to meet our friends?"

Gabriella hesitated and sat down on the couch. Kelsi and Sharpay sat each side of her. "I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, I've got work. I'm meeting with Mr Bolton the day after tomorrow."

"Exactly!" Kelsi exclaimed. "You need to meet Troy."

Gabriella cracked a small smile. "Maybe another time, I promise."

Kelsi hugged her and sighed. "Everything will work out."

~*~

The clock seemed ostentatiously loud. Seriously, it wasn't just the tick that was getting to her, it was the echo of the tick and the whir of the mechanism in the silent office that put her on edge. This was ridiculous. As her friends were so fond of telling her, she was a fantastic lawyer. Sure, Sharpay was exaggerating when she said the best in New York, but she was still damn good. And now she was doing what she had always wanted: working in her own practice, concentrating on commercial cases. Back in New York, being so junior, she had been pretty near the bottom rung of the ladder, and had done a lot of pro bono work, which at least paid the bills. But, when you were being paid by the state to represent criminals who couldn't afford to hire lawyers of their own, you couldn't choose your clients, and she was damn sure that a lot of hers had been guilty of the charges she was defending them from.

That wasn't the life she wanted. Gabriella was a highly moral person, and while she had worked hard to win each and every case, doing so had made her feel bad about herself more often than she cared to remember. And so, commercial law seemed much better for her, since it largely consisted of arbitrating arguments at a more legal level, and trying to make sure everything was fair.

Tick. Still ten minutes to go until Mr. Bolton arrived.

She sighed, and busied herself looking through the file. She had read it several times before though, and it wasn't all that illuminating. What it boiled down to was that, while Jack Bolton was the one filing for divorce, it was at his wife's instigation. If she had to make a guess, Gabriella would have to say it looked like there wasn't a huge amount of ill feeling in this case, for which she as grateful. Under reasons cited for the separation, the words 'insurmountable differences' was anything but informative. It looked like she was going to have quite the conversation today.

In the end, Jack Bolton was five minutes early anyway. She surveyed him as he sat down. He was a big man, and although smartly dressed he seemed uncomfortable in the suit and tie, which made sense. You couldn't dress up often if you worked on a farm and at a school gym. His face was open and honest, his hair still dark and his eyes bright blue, though shaded with sadness for now. Gabriella realised that in all likelihood he still loved his wife, and felt a pang of sorrow for him. Part of her couldn't help comparing his situation with her own, but she shut that intrusive little voice down ruthlessly. The last thing she needed was to break down in her own consultation. After exchanging pleasantries with him and seating him opposite her at her large, tidy desk, she took a deep breath.

"Well, Mr. Bolton, I know vaguely what this is about, but I don't think I'll be able to help you much if I don't know what's going on. Could you tell me what's led you and your wife to this point?"

Jack sighed. "That's reasonable. I might not explain very well, but I'll give it my best shot. So, you know that Meaghan and I were married quite young, and have two sons, eight years apart in age. Troy's twenty-six, and Michael's just eighteen. Well, I guess it all started around eight years ago. Troy was eighteen, and coming to the end of high school. He was a great kid: smart, funny, popular. Had every girl in the school hanging off him, and could have gone into professional basketball. He's such a good player..." The tired blue eyes gained a little more life as he thought of his son. "In fact, I was encouraging- no, I'll be honest, I was pressuring him into going pro. But Troy, he was never what you might call predictable. I mean, as I've just described him, what would you expect him to be like?"

Gabriella smiled as she thought, willing to let Jack take the roundabout way to tell her his story. "Well, he sounds like a fairly typical jock, although you mentioned he was smart. I'd guess... well, he'd go on playing, go to college, and try for going professional. That's what people would expect."

Jack laughed softly, shaking his head. "Indeed it was. And what do you think he'd have done about girls?"

Gabriella shrugged. "Played the field. Had a few girlfriends, never get that serious with any of them."

Jack was grinning outright now. "So, you can just imagine the shock everyone felt when, after this 'typical jock' graduated as valedictorian, he went straight to college to study veterinary science, and proposed to his girlfriend of three years."

Gabriella was surprised. Despite knowing that Troy Bolton was a vet, that wasn't the story she expected. "Engaged at eighteen?"

"And married at nineteen. And, we accepted it. You see, there was something about Troy and Ellie. They... fitted. Sure, they got together in their sophomore year, when Troy finally got the courage up to ask her out, but no one was really surprised that they lasted beyond high school. Their wedding day was... wonderful. They had their whole lives ahead of them. Everything planned out. Troy was going to become a vet, and they would live on the ranch, where Ellie was working as a riding instructor. They had the perfect life. And then, just to improve everything, Ellie became pregnant."

Gabriella nodded, fascinated as much by the emotion in the man's voice and face as in the story itself.

"They were over the moon. Everyone was. Meaghan and I... we were going through a rough patch. Nothing terrible, standard married stuff. People get angry, or complacent... well, you know this, I suppose."

Gabriella nodded, smiling, and Jack laughed at himself. "Yes, of course you do. But the pregnancy, it sort of brought us together again. Being grandparents... it wasn't something we'd ever thought of, really, but the idea certainly appealed."

He grew quiet. Gabriella said nothing, giving him time.

"There were... complications. With the birth, I mean. Kaden was born happy and healthy, but Ellie... I don't want to go into details. It's painful for everyone; we all loved her. It's enough to say that she died in childbirth. Troy only kept it together for Kaden's sake, and didn't get to mourn until much later. I'm ashamed to say that Meaghan and I didn't handle it so well. I was inconsolable, because I loved my daughter-in-law. Her parents had died young; she had no other family, so we were really close. Losing her... it was the real trigger, I guess.

"Meaghan, though, reacted even worse. The thing was, she assumed that raising Kaden was going to be forced on her, and she didn't want it. Even when Troy tried to explain that all he wanted was some support, she couldn't see it. That's when things got bad. Things were said, things that shouldn't have been. Over the years it got worse. Quite recently, Meaghan's become convinced that I'm cheating on her, too."

"Who with?" Gabriella inquired quietly. Jack shrugged.

"A woman named Lucille Sullivan. She works on the ranch too, and she helps out with Kaden a lot. Troy and I owe her a lot, but nothing's ever happened... that way." He stopped talking and blushed. Gabriella realised, with a stab at amusement that she hurriedly quashed, that this honest, country man was pretty uncomfortable talking about this stuff. It was hard to imagine him cheating if she were honest.

"So, the reason you're divorcing now?"

Jack shrugged again. "Meaghan wants it. She says she doesn't want to be tied to the family any more. I... I love her enough to know I need to let her go."

Gabriella nodded slowly. "Thanks for telling me all this, Mr. Bolton. I know it can't have been easy. So, what you want me to do is go through the legal side of things and work out a settlement?"

Jack looked relieved. "That's right. I have no clue what's involved with this kind of thing."

Gabriella nodded. "Fortunately, in this case it doesn't look like it'll be that problematic. There are no underage dependants involved, so there are no custody issues, and since it's your wife instigating the divorce and there's no evidence of wrong-doing on your part, while there'll have to be some monetary sacrifice on your part, it won't be exorbitant." She stood, and reached over to shake his hand. "I'll get working on this right away, Mr. Bolton, but I may need to speak to some of the other parties involved fairly soon."

"I think they're expecting it. Just call me and we can set up appointments. Thank you, Miss Montez. I know you must be busy, what with setting up the practice and all."

Gabriella laughed. He was worried about taking up her time? "Mr. Bolton, I'm just delighted to have a case at all this soon. Starting out, I'm told it's always hard to get publicity. I'm very grateful for your business."

Jack smiled in return. "We should probably both be thanking Kelsi, then. She's been a friend of Troy's since kindergarten, pretty much, and she's been like a sister to him and Michael over the years. We're very lucky she's so well connected after Julliard."

Gabriella nodded, while showing him to the door. "Yeah, Kelsi's great. The year we were roommates was one of the best of my life; I couldn't be more pleased to be close to her again."

Jack nodded and fished his keys out of his pocket. "Well, thanks again, and I'll look forward to hearing from you. I know everyone at home will love you."

Gabriella smiled as the big, strangely innocent man walked back to his pick-up, a bizarre contrast to the smart suit. She couldn't help liking him. Some people you just got a feeling about, and the feeling she got from Jack was very good. She felt oddly excited about meeting his family later, even though it was for such an unfortunate reason. And this Troy character sounded decidedly interesting...

Sighing, she returned to her office, glaring at the pile of paperwork left from the move. It was no good: she needed help. Where to start?

~*~

She'd advertised a place for someone the previous day and Gabriella was waiting for Taylor McKessie to arrive. She wasn't late. Far from it. But, Gabriella was kind of nervous. She was conducting her first interview and she had no idea how to do it or what questions to ask or what to look for. She was praying this Taylor McKessie was at least nice if not a good or experienced lawyer. She just needed someone who could file paperwork.

She liked Jack. She really did and she had a feeling that she'd enjoy working with him despite the unpleasant reasons for it. He was a sweet and considering man and if his sons were anything like him she was almost certain she'd like them, too. And Troy sounded like an interesting character, someone she wanted to know better. She definitely needed to talk to him and Lucille. They both seemed interesting and seemed to hold some more in depth reason for the divorce. Although Jack had tried to explain the reasons, she knew there was more to it. He hadn't lied. Kelsi joked that Gabriella had inbuilt radar to detect liars and he certainly didn't flash a red alert. But, she also knew that it would be difficult to talk about his daughter-in-law's death.

She rubbed her temples. She honestly could relate to him. He was divorcing Meaghan because she wanted it, not because he did. She could tell from the look on his face when she asked the reason behind the divorce that he didn't want it. She had left New York because Austin wanted to break up, not her.

She giggled despite her decreasing spirits as she thought back to how uncomfortable Jack was in a suit. If she had learnt anything in law school, it was that clients always worked better whilst they were in a familiar and comfortable environment. And from Jack's professions, that was either a basketball court or the farm. Considering gym was the only class Gabriella had ever failed and she had vowed to never set foot in one ever again, the farm was her best bet. She hadn't had a lot of experience with animals but whenever she'd visited zoos as a child she was constantly wanting to touch the animals she saw: rodents, reptiles, insects, farm animals, exotic animals…everything. So, she was fairly comfortable with animals and Jack would be happy so meeting at his house instead of her office was probably her best bet.

She picked up the phone and dialled his number. After a couple of rings, she was greeted by a woman's voice. "Hello?"

"Hello?" She asked slowly. "Is this Mrs Bolton?"

"Me?" The woman laughed heartily. "Heck no. I'm Lucille."

"Oh. Lucille. Lucille Sullivan, right?"

"That's right. Excuse me one moment. Kaden, come here." There was a moment of rustling. "I'm sorry about that. Who is this?"

"I'm Gabriella Montez, Mr Bolton's lawyer." She explained.

"Oh, hello. Would you like to talk to him?" She asked politely.

"I'd like to if he's around."

"Oh, yeah. He is. One moment. Michael! Go and get your father, please? Tell him it's Gabriella." She paused as Michael said something. "No, she's not his girlfriend. Now go!"

Gabriella giggled. "He sounds like a normal high school kid."

"No, he's a real sweet guy. Exactly like his brother."

"Um, Lucille, can I ask you something? How is Michael taking the divorce?" She asked quietly.

"Oh." Lucille whispered. "Kind of how Troy is taking it. They're playing basketball more than normal, I guess. Troy is a little quieter than before. But, Michael is trying to cheer everyone up more than anything. Especially Troy." She whispered. "But, that's what he does. Whenever something troubles him, he makes people laugh."

Gabriella nodded to herself. "Thank you, Lucille."

"Oh, he's here. There you go, Jack." She said softly.

"Miss Montez?" Jack asked. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing and call me Gabriella. Um, I was just thinking…you hate wearing a suit, don't you?" She asked bluntly.

"Yeah." He admitted sheepishly.

"How about we do meetings at your house instead of my office? So that you're more comfortable." She asked.

"Are you sure? I mean, it would make my life simpler with both of my jobs but…are you sure?" He asked sceptically.

Gabriella laughed. "I'm fine with that. Don't worry about it. I'll call you about when I'll be coming around, okay?"

"Thank you, Gabriella." He said sincerely.

Gabriella hung up the phone just as there was a knock on the door. She rose from her desk and opened the door. She was greeted by an African-American woman dressed in a crisp trouser suit with a briefcase in hand. "Hello. Mrs Danforth?"

She nodded. "That's me. Miss Montez?"

Gabriella extended her hand. "Call me Gabriella."

"Taylor." She explained as they shook hands.

Gabriella led her into the office and gestured to the desk opposite hers. "Take a seat." She sat down in her office chair and brought a notepad and a pen closer to her. She reached for a slim pair of glasses and perched them on her nose. "So, Taylor, you would like to work at my practice. Do you have any experience with lawyers?"

Taylor nodded. "Yes. I attended Yale and graduated with a law degree. I worked locally for a while but I had to leave temporarily because I had my daughter. I took a lengthened maternity leave off but my practice was recently closed down."

Gabriella nodded with understanding, making some notes. "You have a daughter?"

Taylor smiled. "Naomi. She's three. I might have to take some time off work every now and then."

Gabriella nodded. "I'd love to be able to do that." She mumbled to herself. "Do you have your resumé?"

Taylor nodded and opened her briefcase. She handed a piece of paper to Gabriella. "You're Jack Bolton's lawyer, right?"

Gabriella glanced up from the piece of paper. "Yes. I am."

"Troy's one of my best friends is all." Taylor explained.

Gabriella smiled. "Really? Wow. Albuquerque really is a small town." She looked back to the piece of paper in front of her. "So, you got a part time job at your previous practice before you graduated college and then worked full time?"

"Yes. While I was working part time, it was basically photocopying and such. I shadowed a few people and took notes just to see how being a lawyer worked." Taylor explained.

"And you worked there full time for one year before Naomi was born?" Gabriella asked.

Taylor nodded. "That's right. I was off with maternity leave for two years. I returned to work a year ago but my old practice went bankrupt."

Gabriella nodded. "And it says here that you started with commercial cases after just six months of being a qualified lawyer?"

Taylor shrugged modestly. "Well, yes. I did."

"If you are that good, welcome to my practice. And it's even better because I assume you know Kels and Shar?"

Taylor giggled. "Yeah. We're best friends."

"Then, I don't think they'd forgive me if I didn't give you a job. Welcome." She shook Taylor's hand.

Taylor breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much, Gabriella."

"No problem. My old practice in New York thought I was still a high school kid and gave me all of the bottom cases. Basically I was attempting to defend a criminal of the crime they actually commit. They didn't think I was 'experienced' enough."

"Well, you tell yourself what cases you have now." Taylor commented.

She nodded proudly and took her glasses off. "I do. And it feels great."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: We hope you like it :)**

**Don't own HSM

* * *

**

Gabriella closed the door of her car and re-settled the purse on her shoulder, an unsure expression on her face. It was nice of her friends to want to take her out to dinner to celebrate both her moving here and her new job, but the restaurant before her looked very high class, and more than a little out of her league. While all the new beginnings were a big deal, a _very_ big deal, she wasn't convinced that it was such a big deal that it was worth bankrupting herself and her friends. Still, Sharpay had been very clear. This was the place, this was the time… she supposed she'd better just go with it.

The inside was dark, lit only by discreet lamps on the tables and the occasional up-light fixed to the wall, giving the whole place a classy, subtle feel. The waiter approached her with a confident air, and as she said the words "Evans Party?" she realised that her voice had softened automatically, not wanting to draw attention in this kind of place.

Sharpay felt no such compunction, and squealed as she always did when she saw Gabriella arrive. Gabriella herself felt a bit embarrassed, but for some reason no one else reacted. She decided that there must be special rules for Sharpay. Sliding into the booth, she smiled gratefully at Ryan, Kelsi and Jason, Kelsi's boyfriend. It was surprisingly easy to slide into this group of friends, since she knew most of them already. She looked around.

"So, are we ordering yet?"

Ryan grinned. "Not quite yet. We're waiting for someone else. Zeke finishes work soon, and Shar won't let us order till he's here."

"Hey! He is my fiancé. You could have a little more respect." Her world-famous pout fell on the one pair of immune eyes in the world. Ryan shook his head.

"Shar! I never knew you were engaged. All the time we've known each other, and you never dated once!" Gabriella was shocked and, if she had to admit it, a little saddened that she hadn't known. Sharpay just shrugged.

"Zeke and I have been together since high-school... about the same time Kelsi and the lunk-head here got together." She smirked at Jason, who just laughed. He knew he wasn't that bright, but it didn't bother him. He tightened his arm that was draped around Kelsi, who snuggled into his side. "It just... never came up. Zeke's such a basic part of my life, really. I missed him so much while I was at Julliard..."

"I missed you too, baby. Hi, everyone."

A tall, good-looking African American leaned down and kissed Sharpay, whose face literally lit up. She looked over to Gabriella as the guy sat down next to her. "Speak of the devil. Gabi, this is Zeke, my fiancé and head chef here."

"Nice to meet you." His smile was infectious, and Gabriella smiled back as they shook hands. "So, how do you know Shar?"

Sharpay, Kelsi and Gabriella shared a look. "Well..." Kelsi started.

"That's probably something to talk about once we've ordered. Otherwise we'll be here all night." Sharpay decided, picking up her menu.

Gabriella scanned the menu Jason handed to her, and tried to remember what French she knew to try and understand it. Jason frowned, and then obviously gave up. "I'll have whatever you're having, sweetie," he mumbled, kissing the side of Kelsi's head just under her hat. She grinned at him.

"Great, I was gonna have the snails, followed by the jellified lambs' brains." She said seriously, turning to face him.

Just for a moment, a look of absolute horror ghosted over Jason's eternally-open features. That was all it took for the rest of the table to burst out laughing. To his credit, Jason joined in shortly afterwards, although he did knock Kelsi's hat off in a playful swat. Then he turned to Zeke. "Hang on, man, how come you're out here if you're the head chef?"

Zeke shrugged. "My bosses gave me the night off."

"Oh, yeah, right." Jason shrugged.

Gabriella was confused. "They gave you the night off? Just like that?"

"When you're engaged to one boss and the other's a reasonably close friend, there have got to be a few perks." Zeke chuckled over the words.

Gabriella's eyes widened. She turned to gaze at Sharpay. "You _own_ this place?"

She laughed too. "Me and Ry between us. Mom and Dad gave it to us as a twenty-first birthday present."

"Yeah, it's cool," Ryan agreed. "We can come here whenever we want. It's not too hard to manage, and it has the advantage of not being able to throw us out if Sharpay gets too loud."

Sharpay threw a breadstick at him, just as a waiter came to take their orders. Obviously he knew whom he worked for: he didn't even bat an eyelid.

"So, what's the deal?" Zeke was looking expectantly Gabriella, who shrugged.

"Not such a great story, really. I needed a place to stay, looked in the paper, saw an ad wanting two people to rent an apartment not too far from my campus. I decided to have a coffee before looking at the place, and met Kelsi in Starbucks."

Kelsi grinned and took over. "We hit it off pretty much straight away, and when we realised we were looking at the same apartment, we decided to go together. We loved the place, and the rest is history."

"Except for the most important part," Sharpay piped up. Ryan rolled his eyes.

"We came to visit Kelsi, we met Gabriella. Yeah, major drama, Shar." He rolled his eyes, making Zeke chuckle.

She pouted again. "But then we introduced her to Austin, too-" She broke off suddenly, looking shocked and horrified. Kelsi and Ryan both looked furiously at her, before glancing at Gabriella… Who had frozen.

Not literally. She still moved, her fork moving tiny amounts of garden salad to her mouth, where they seemed to be entering her mouth without her lips parting. Her eyes were fixed on her plate. It was nothing tangible. It was something that Kelsi, Ryan and Sharpay had seen before, though, and had no wish to see again, because simply put, Gabriella wasn't there anymore. The person sat on that seat might as well have been carved from stone, because there would be no reaction, and certainly no emotion. She had spent weeks like this not long ago, and none of them wanted her to return to that place. Jason and Zeke stared around, utterly bewildered.

"Gabi?" Zeke jumped. It was Sharpay, but her voice was unrecognisable. It was softer than he had ever heard it, and apologetic, and pleading. Gone was all the usual bluster and bravado. In its place came the voice of a little girl wanting to talk to her friend.

The shudder that passed down Gabriella's spine was visible. She shook violently and slumped down in her seat, dropping her fork and gasping for breath. "I'm so sorry!" Her voice was husky, and almost inaudible beneath her heavy breathing. "Sorry, I... I haven't done that in ages..."

Sharpay left her seat, crossed to her friend and knelt by her, wrapping her arms around the brunette for comfort. Everyone could see Gabriella shaking as she sobbed into Sharpay's shoulder. If it was anyone else, they knew, Sharpay would be chewing them out for damaging her blouse. "Shh, it's okay, Gabi," she murmured, still in that same soft voice. "It's my fault, I shouldn't have sprung it at you."

Gabriella pulled herself away, shaking her head as she did so. Her eyes were wet with tears, but she looked determined. "No, I should be able to talk about this. I should be able to think about it without going catatonic. I'm over it. Or, mostly, anyway." She looked Jason straight in the eye.

"Sharpay and Ryan introduced me to a friend of theirs, a guy called Austin. It turned out he was a guy who regularly went to the library who I'd seen a few times. We got... pretty serious. In fact, we were engaged after four months. We found out I was pregnant about six months after he proposed, and we were really happy. All of us were," she qualified, looking to her friends for support. Ryan and Kelsi nodded vigorously, while Sharpay gave her another hug. "So happy. It was so exciting, you know? A baby... it was just so incredible. We had so many plans, we were going to get a house, move in together after the wedding, everything was perfect. And then..." She gulped, obviously fighting the tears again, but her voice was surprisingly steady.

"I was at the office one day, and I had this sudden pain, and passed out. I woke up in hospital, where a doctor told me I'd had a miscarriage. Some complication that we hadn't known about, a rare one I think. I don't remember all the details. At the time, all I could think to myself was that my baby was gone. And, then I thought, 'wow, I'm glad Austin's here to help me through this'."

There was a startling sound from the other side of the table. Ryan was actually growling, his anger more than Jason and Zeke had ever seen before. Kelsi and Sharpay had seen it worse once. And that was the last time he had seen Austin.

Gabriella wiped her face, and her voice took on a business-like tone, obviously determined to brush past the next bit. As if it wasn't important. "Well, it turned out that Austin wasn't quite as 'there for me' as I'd thought. He came into the hospital, I told him what had happened and he... he broke the engagement. Took the ring back, and told me he didn't want to see me anymore. And then he walked out and I haven't seen him since." She shrugged. Jason and Zeke stared. Then Zeke stood up, walked round to where Sharpay was, and took Gabriella in a hug of his own.

It was a warm hug, strong and brotherly, not unlike Ryan's, all the more welcome because it was so unsolicited and from a hitherto unknown source, and Gabriella was grateful for it. But as the party got back on track with the arrival of the food, and they gradually moved past the horrible story that had been recounted, Gabriella couldn't help thinking that she wanted a different kind of hug. The kind of hug that only Austin had ever given her before. Still, she cheered up somewhat when dessert was ordered, if only to hear the guys teasing Kelsi and Sharpay when they pretended not to want any.

Sharpay dropped her fork on the mucky plate that once held all the beauty and potential of what looked like the world's most beautiful chocolate cheesecake, but now held nothing but the proverbial bloody ruins scattered over a battlefield. And sighed. They had shared a bottle of wine between them, and Gabriella regretted her earlier outpouring, since the alcohol had served to heighten the melancholy in all of them.

"Do you ever just wish you were in high school again?" Sharpay's question was so out of the blue that they all stared at her. "I mean, our idea of a good time is going out to dinner. Ugh, I feel so old."

Jason nodded, still holding Kelsi to him. "I know what you mean. I keep thinking back to times I just spent time... well, doing nothing, just hanging out with my friends, and thinking; I really wish I could do that again. Everything gets too complicated," he groused.

Gabriella nodded, then grabbed her glass of mineral water. "Yeah, I miss it too. But I don't think getting older is such a bad thing."

"You would say that. You're two years younger than us," Kelsi grumbled quietly. "Damn freaky genius girl."

Gabriella laughed. It felt odd after what she had said earlier, but good too. Cleansing, sort of. "You might be right. But, I say, here's to growing up. It makes all the crap we went through seem worth it."

Zeke thought for a while, then raised his glass to hers. "I'll drink to that. I can think of a few advantages to being an adult." His sweeping view took in the restaurant he was obviously so proud of, and the fiancé gently falling asleep on his shoulder.

Jason was unconvinced. "Me, an adult? Now there's a bad idea. I'm still not convinced I should be allowed on the road."

Laughter sounded from the table once again, and Gabriella realised that she was pleased to be here. This was the next step, and she was glad that she had these people around willing to help her make it. She had the feeling that she'd want to stick in Albuquerque a long time.

~*~

The door opened almost as soon as Troy finished knocking and he jumped slightly. "Hey, Tay. Kaden wanted to visit Naomi. That okay?"

"You know you could walk through the front door without knocking and it'd still be okay." She teased, opening the door wider and allowing him through. She followed him into the lounge where they saw a petite dark coloured skin girl giggling uncontrollably with Chad, a tall and muscular man with hair as crazy as his fashion sense. Whilst a little slow, he was known for his pranks and jokes. Taylor had no idea why she fell for him, all she knew was that she did.

Kaden giggled happily and immediately let go of Troy's hand to join in the fun. "Naomi!"

Troy rolled his eyes. "Hey, Chad."

Chad finally managed to stand up and walked over to him. "Hey. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. It's him that's pulling me through." He gestured with his eyes to Kaden.

"Do you want some coffee, Troy?" Taylor offered.

Troy smiled and nodded. "That'd be nice." He followed Chad and Taylor into the small kitchen. He sat down with Chad at the small table as Taylor began preparing the coffee. This was what he loved about Chad and Taylor. And all of his other friends, too. They were his family. They never minded if he was going through a particular rough patch, Ellie's birthday for example, and they were the first ones to volunteer to look after Kaden. They gave him space and allowed him to go to them. Vice versa, if any of his friends had a problem, especially Kelsi, he wouldn't care if they visited him at one in the morning.

He didn't know if he could ever repay his friends for all they'd done for him. When it came across Ellie's first birthday since her death, he was beside himself. He didn't know who he wanted to talk to or if he wanted to talk at all. To save him breaking down in front of Kaden, he'd begged Kelsi to baby sit him. Troy spent the day by himself, looking at old photo albums and school yearbooks. His friends hadn't pushed him into anything. They hadn't pushed him to get over it. They'd babysat Kaden at the last moment and just accepted that Troy had bad days. When he had bad days, his friends simply let him come out of it by himself.

Once, a couple of days after suffering Ellie's first birthday after her death, he had confessed to Kelsi and Taylor, who he knew would never tell anyone, that he had considered committing suicide because he had originally thought that he couldn't cope without Ellie in his life anymore. But, when he realised that he had a son, a son who he'd created whilst loving his wife, he knew that Kaden held a part of her. When Troy had got over the original shock of Ellie's death and held Kaden for the first time, he realised that he _needed_ to stay alive. Kaden had looked so fragile and vulnerable. Kaden was his life and his friends understood that.

Troy accepted the cup of coffee which Taylor offered him. He realised that he'd become withdrawn and deep in thought. But, as always, Chad and Taylor had simply let him take his time. "Thanks, Tay."

Taylor smiled and handed Chad a cup of coffee before she sat down. "So, what's up?"

Troy set his cup down and shrugged. "I'm scared, guys. I don't know how this is going to affect Kaden. I mean, I can't say he was super close to my mom but my dad's really sad. He's going to see the difference. He's not a stupid kid."

Taylor nodded. "I know. You've just got to trust that he knows you're not going anywhere."

"Where could I go?" He mumbled.

"Anywhere you wanted. If you wanted to travel the world, you could. Troy, despite the fact that it doesn't look it, you're rich. You could go wherever and escape this place that holds so many bad memories. But, you just need to make sure he knows that you'll stay with him, no matter what happens to your parents." She said softly.

Troy chuckled softly. "I guess. Expect a lot more visits from us."

Chad sipped his coffee. "That's cool. You know, we should get the whole gang round. Your dad and Mike can come. Cheer everyone up. How does that sound?"

"Yeah!" Taylor exclaimed excitedly. "My new boss can come. You'll love her. She's so cool. And, besides, Shar and Kels would force us to let her come anyway."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Tay..." He warned.

She shrugged sheepishly. "I'm sorry. That came out wrong. I meant, she's really easy to get on with and you'll like her. Is that better?"

Troy nodded softly. "Yeah." He whispered. "I'm sorry, Tay. It's just not something I want."

"You never know." She mumbled. "Kaden could do with a mom."

"Anyway," Chad began pointedly, "what do you think, hoops?" he asked, using the nickname he had called Troy back in high school.

Troy finally nodded. "I like that idea. Yeah. We can all go over to the ranch and make a real dinner party out of it."

"Yeah, Lucille can be there, too." Taylor offered, knowing how close she was to the Bolton family.

Troy shook his head dubiously. "I'm not sure. My mom already thinks she's in love with my dad." He saw Taylor's look and sighed. "And, maybe…possibly…it's conceivable…that she is. She'd never admit it and she'd never do anything about it, even if my parents are getting a divorce. She wouldn't do that."

"Exactly." Chad exclaimed. "You know that, your dad know that and we know that. Kaden would love her to be there. Just invite her."

Troy sighed. "Yeah. I think I will. This will be great. It'll be like old times. We haven't all gotten together properly since Kaden's birthday. I miss everyone. He does, too."

Chad nodded. "So it's settled, then. In a week, we'll have a shindig."

Taylor raised her eyebrows. "A shindig? Why don't you just say a get-together?"

"Shindig brings a certain feel to it. You've got to like the word." He exclaimed.

"Okay…We'll have a shindig." Troy said unsurely. "I'll call Kels and Jase and ask my dad, Mike and Lucy. You call Shar, Zeke and Ryan?"

Taylor nodded. "Yeah. That's cool."

Troy took a gulp of his coffee. He hoped that this Gabriella was as friendly as everyone was saying. The last thing he needed was another complication because he didn't like his friends' new friend.

"Sounds great." He mumbled.

Kaden suddenly toddled in and tugged on Troy's jeans. "Daddy, Naomi asked if I can sleep over."

Troy looked over at Chad and Taylor. "What do you think?"

Naomi ran in and smiled toothily up at Taylor. "Mommy, please can Kaden sleep over?"

"It's okay with me." She said softly. "What about you, Troy?"

Troy looked down at Kaden and ruffled his hair. "It's fine with me, buddy. Go and play." He said softly as Kaden and Naomi ran back into the lounge. Troy burst out laughing along with Chad and Taylor. "Oh, my god. They are definitely getting married when they're older."

Taylor nodded in agreement. "Most definitely. So, we're agreed. A week?"

"A week is fine for me." Troy said softly.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: ZZ9PluralZAlpha was totally awesome with this chapter. I wrote it but he advised me with it :) Thank you so much. And thank you for coping with my impatience.**

**Don't own HSM

* * *

**

Gabriella smiled at the waiter as he placed hers and Sharpay's orders on the table. "Thank you," she said politely as she added some milk to her coffee. "So, you and Zeke," she started.

"What about us?" Sharpay asked as she sipped her non-fat, no-foam soy latte.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

Sharpay shrugged as she picked up her fork and began eating her cake. "I told you. I just didn't think to tell you because he's always been there. He's like…a sofa in my life."

"You're comparing your future husband to a piece of furniture?" She asked unsurely.

Sharpay nodded. "Yep. Pretty much."

"Why is he in love with you?" Gabriella giggled.

Sharpay sighed softly with a dreamy smile on her face. "I have no idea. But, I'm glad that he is."

Gabriella laughed. "Now I know why you don't cry at romance movies. You've got the reality."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Yeah. And I get free low fat cookies on a regular basis."

Gabriella became quiet and thoughtful as she gently prodded her cake with her fork. She really shouldn't think like this. She knew it would end badly. Thinking about Austin wasn't all that smart considering what had happened. But, when Sharpay was talking for the first time to Gabriella about how perfect Zeke was, she couldn't help but think about what could've been with Austin. She _thought_ he was everything she wanted. And, they'd created a child together. She knew that despite how badly everything ended, she'd always remember how it felt to feel her baby inside of her.

She still couldn't figure out why she had a miscarriage. She was healthy when she got pregnant, she ate healthily, she exercised but not too much, of course, she never drank alcohol or smoked… And yet she still lost her baby. And because of that, she lost Austin, too. She kept wondering what would have happened if she'd have actually given birth. Maybe Austin would've left her anyway.

She smiled weakly when she saw Sharpay eating her cake and leaving her to think to herself. When she was really depressed just after everything happened, it was exactly what her friends did. They simply kept quiet and allowed her to figure things out by herself. She struggled to get through the initial shock of Austin's sudden lack of change of heart and would freeze, much like she did at the restaurant. Gabriella suddenly sat up a lot straighter, making Sharpay jump.

"You okay?" she asked quietly.

Gabriella nodded, a determined look on her face. "Hell yeah, I am. Are you kidding? I'm living within a twenty minute's drive of my best friends. I own my own law practice. I'm twenty four years old and I shouldn't be like this. I wasn't like this before. And, I'll admit it, it hurt like getting your leg broken in two places – yeah, I know what that feels like. It hurt so bad I could barely breathe. But, I have something he doesn't."

Sharpay stared at her in disbelief as she answered. "What?"

"You and Kels and Ry. And now Zeke and Jason. I have friends. I have a really great job. I have something I like to call a future. Austin was a bastard to me and a pretty big one at that. But, let's face it, I've got what I want. Maybe I want a family and a husband and kids, but at the minute, I've got friends and friends who I've put through hell." She admitted softly, smiling apologetically.

"Don't you dare say sorry for what he did to you. I was all too happy to drive up there. My best friend needed me." Sharpay exclaimed, pointing her fork at Gabriella.

Gabriella giggled. "I guess. But, I'm ready. I'm ready to fight for Jack and I'm going to make sure I'm now the best lawyer in Albuquerque."

"Are you saying you're over him?" Sharpay asked excitedly as she put her fork down and sat up straighter.

Gabriella shrugged, her mouth moving silently. "I don't think so. Not totally. If I'm honest, I think it'll take a long time. But, it's beginning. I don't need him. I don't _want _him. I think I was relieved that a guy didn't mind that work was so important to me. Shar," she swallowed and looked into her friend's eyes, "I'm getting over him."

Sharpay squealed and they both leapt to their feet and hugged each other. "Oh, my god. Gabs, I'm so proud of you!"

Gabriella pulled back and laughed. "Thank you, Shar. You know, we should celebrate."

They both sat down and raised their cups to each other. "You are right. We need to get you back on the market. You're rich, you're single and you're hot."

Gabriella cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows.

"And smart and funny and kind and sweet and I'm sorry?" She tried before both women laughed and touched their cups together. "To you being a young, free, independent woman."

"To me!" Gabriella giggled as she sipped her coffee. "So," she started as she set her cup down and picked her fork up, "how are we going to celebrate?"

"Well," Sharpay started before she suddenly grinned. "Lucy, over here."

Gabriella watched as a woman maybe in her late forties, with strawberry blonde hair, a wide smile and was wearing some jeans a red blouse. She was being followed by a young man with dirty blonde hair and eyes exactly the same as Jack's. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and plain blue shirt. What surprised Gabriella was the little boy resting on his hip and was poking him in the cheek. The young man, clearly in high school and she assumed he was popular, simply let him poke his cheek and rolled his eyes to himself. The little boy looked nothing like the high school student. He had blonde hair, a slightly paler skin tone and a cute button nose. However, they did share the same blue eyes.

_Hmmm…They have to be related to Jack._

"Gabs, I want you to meet some of my friends. They're friends with Kels and everyone else, too." Sharpay exclaimed. "Gabs, this is Lucille Sullivan, Michael Bolton and, of course, Kaden Bolton."

Gabriella smiled politely. _Bolton…I was right._ "It's so nice to meet you."

Lucille pointed to the empty chairs. "May we join you?"

"Of course." Gabriella said softly as Lucille and Michael both took a seat with Kaden sitting in Michael's lap.

"Lucille works on Jack's farm." Sharpay informed her.

"Oh, you're Lucille. We spoke on the phone." Gabriella realised.

"Gabriella…" Lucille seemed to suddenly remember the name. "Gabriella! You're Jack's lawyer?"

Gabriella nodded. "That's me. You'll be seeing me a lot in the next few weeks."

"That's alright." Michael grinned and moved his chair closer to Gabriella's.

She raised her eyebrows. "Really? That's nice of you."

"You're a lawyer?" He asked quietly.

"The law degree says I am." She joked.

"Aren't lawyers supposed to be geeks and wear glasses?" He asked slowly.

"I wear glasses when I'm working." Gabriella explained. "Anyway, you're Kaden?" She asked the little boy softly.

Kaden nodded proudly. "I am. Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm a friend of your Grandpa's." She said softly. "You're a handsome little guy, aren't you?"

Kaden giggled. "Thank you Gabi…Gavri…"

"Call me Gabby." She offered with a smile.

"Okay, Gabby." He said brightly. "Thank you for saying I'm handsome."

Gabriella giggled. "You're a little sweetie. Where's Jack?"

Lucille breathed out deeply. "He's working on the ranch. Trying to keep himself occupied."

Gabriella nodded quietly. "I can understand that."

Sharpay smiled at her sympathetically. "Gabs, remember what we just said? Come on, we're going to celebrate."

"What are you girls celebrating?" Lucille enquired.

"I'm kind of getting over something and I need to celebrate and do something. I said to Shar that I'm twenty four. I'm single. I can't let one bad thing get me down. So, I want to go out and make the most of it, really." Gabriella explained quietly.

"Well, I know a way we can celebrate." Sharpay smirked, looking across at Lucille and Michael.

"Shindig!" They exclaimed.

"Am I missing something?" Gabriella asked slowly.

"No, honey. This Saturday, there's going to be a party at the ranch. We haven't gotten together in ages. Just everyone in our little gang. You're more than welcome to come." She said warmly.

"Oh, I don't want to intrude." Gabriella shook her head softly, looking at her cup of coffee.

"Nonsense!" Sharpay exclaimed. "You, my friend, are coming to this 'shindig' and you're going to meet Troy and Chad. You've met everyone else so you've got no reason to feel like you're intruding."

Lucille nodded. "Exactly. And, you know, Jack needs cheering up and this 'shindig' will do it. Please, Gabby? Kaden, do you want Gabby to come to the party on Saturday?"

Kaden nodded and smiled toothily at her. "You should meet my daddy. He's my best friend."

"I want you to come, too." Michael commented.

"Really?" Gabriella raised her eyebrows. "Well, as Kaden wants me there, I think I'll go."

* * *

Michael followed Lucille into the house and handed Kaden over to her. "What do you think of Gabriella?"

"I know what you think of her." She muttered as she rested Kaden on her hip.

Michael raised his eyebrows. "It's not my fault that Dad's attorney happens to be incredibly hot."

"You know, Troy was never like that." Lucille said softly.

Michael shrugged. "I haven't found my Ellie. I have no idea how Troy managed to find a girl like her and know that she wasn't using him."

Lucile smiled softly and kissed his forehead. "You'll find one. I promise."

"Really?" He asked dubiously.

She nodded. "Of course you will. You're smart and good looking and funny and hard working. Mike, you'll find a girl."

"I'm not smart like Troy." He rolled his eyes.

"Don't compare yourself to him. Troy did the work because he needed it to be a vet. But, you do what your heart tells you. That doesn't mean you shouldn't work in school, though." She warned.

Michael laughed and playfully rolled his eyes. "I'm not brave enough to flunk. Dad, Troy, you, Taylor, Shaprpay, Kelsi and from what I heard Gabriella, too, would all kill me."

Lucille nodded. "Probably. So, don't worry about it, okay? You'll find her someday."

Michael kissed her cheek affectionately. "Thanks, Lucy. You know, maybe Gabriella's single."

She whacked his arm. "Maybe this is why you don't have a girlfriend. Did you not see? She's just suffered a bad break up and she's only just started getting over it which is why she wants to celebrate."

"Oh." He mumbled. "Oh well. She's a little too, you know…"

"Mature?" Lucille tried.

"I was going to say emotional but that works, too." He joked.

The door suddenly opened and they both jumped visibly. Meaghan stepped in and slammed the door behind her. "What are _you_ doing here?" She hissed to Lucille.

She refrained from rolling her eyes. "I'm just going to find Troy. I went for lunch with Kaden and Michael."

"Was Jack too busy?" Meaghan asked sarcastically.

"Actually, he was." She answered truthfully. "Meaghan, for the last time, there's nothing going on between Jack and me."

"That's what you want me to think." She accused.

"Yes. It is. Because that's the truth." Lucille exclaimed. "I'll see you later, Mike, okay?"

"'Kay." He mumbled as he hugged her.

"Come on, Kaden, let's find your daddy." Lucille said softly as she walked through the house towards the back door.

"So, you went out for lunch with her?" Meaghan asked as they walked through to the kitchen.

Michael nodded. "Yeah. We ate with Sharpay and her friend who just moved here from New York."

"New York? Wow. Maybe your father could move there." She muttered.

"Mom!" Michael exclaimed. "Dad is one of my best friends. Please don't talk about him that way."

She sat down at the table and looked across at him. "Well, it's his own fault for cheating on me with that Lucille. Besides, it would be nice to have one of my sons on my side."

"I'm not going to choose a side and if I know Troy like I think I do, he won't either." Michael exclaimed as he sat down. "Mom, why won't you listen to him? He's not conspiring against you or cheating on you."

"No! He's wanted me out for years."

"No, Mom. Dad's completely in love with you." Michael said softly.

The kitchen was silent for a moment until the back door opened and Troy walked through with Kaden balanced on his hip. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"You left Jack alone with Lucille?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah. I did. Because I trust them. Like I have done my whole life." He explained quietly. "Anyway, what are you doing here? Dad's on his way over. Lucille's taking over the work."

"Tell your father that my lawyer wants to see him and his lawyer in two weeks." She said sharply as she rose from her seat.

"Why don't you tell him yourself?" Troy asked in confusion.

"I don't want to talk to him." Meaghan decided. "Troy, someday you'll understand that your father was wrong."

Troy set Kaden on the floor. "Kaden, buddy, go into the den and play with your toys for a couple of minutes, okay?"

Kaden nodded. "Okay, Daddy. You okay?"

Troy managed a small smile and nodded. "I'm fine. Go and play. I won't be long, I promise."

Kaden turned around and smiled up at Meaghan. "Bye, Grandma."

"Bye Kaden." She said quietly as he ran into the hallway. "Well, I must go."

Michael folded his arms and sighed. He felt a pang of sympathy for his brother. He knew that Troy blamed himself for their parents' impending divorce but, on the other hand, their mother shouldn't have assumed that Troy would've dumped Kaden on them. Anyone who had met Troy and Ellie would've known that Troy would've been lost without Ellie and wouldn't have given Kaden up for anything. He just needed a little help until the realisation of Ellie's death had fully sunk in.

That turned into the second problem because Troy had asked Lucille to help him. Growing up being the oldest child with three younger siblings, she had a lot of knowledge of babies and had taught Troy little steps at a time. She knew how important it was to Troy that he spent time with Kaden but also that he grieved his wife's death.

Lucille's sudden extra help around the house, even though the majority of the time was with Troy and Kaden, had led Maeghan to wrongly assume that Jack was having an affair. It didn't make any sense to everyone else purely because Lucille had been working on the ranch as a horse trainer since Jack had set it up. Their friendship had become stronger over the years and Lucille had confessed after a very embarrassing interrogation from Troy and Michael that she felt something more towards Jack. However, she wasn't the type of woman to even confess her feelings, much less begin an affair.

Michael got his thoughts back on track. The fact was Meaghan was wrong. Maybe she was looking for an excuse to divorce Jack, he didn't know. He just knew that Troy was blaming himself for it.

"Mom, please think about this." Michael pleaded. "Just talk to him. He isn't doing anything wrong."

"It doesn't matter, he's wanted me out for years and now he's finally got it." She mumbled.

"What about us, Mom? Why now? Why don't you and Dad talk to us?" Michael asked quietly. "We're both adults, Mom. We're not little kids anymore."

"This is between your father and me." She said sternly.

"But, maybe this can calm down a little bit. Mom, please think about us. We're suffering just as much as you." Michael said softly.

Troy walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder. Whilst neither of the Bolton sons were particularly close to their mother, they still loved her. "Mike, let it go. If Mom doesn't want to talk to him, it's her choice. I'll tell him, Mom."

Meaghan nodded once. "Well, bye, boys." She left the kitchen and they heard the door slam behind her.

Troy sighed and leaned back against the counter. "Two weeks." He muttered. "I still can't believe Dad gave up."

"You're surprised?" Michael asked quietly. "He wants Mom to be happy despite her false accusations and however sour this whole thing is."

Troy nodded with a reluctant nod. "I guess. Remember when I first brought Ellie home and she and Mom got on so well? I was scared she wouldn't get on with you guys, you know."

Michael leaned against the counter next to his brother and looked up at him. "Really? It's like you never met your wife at all. Everyone loved her."

Troy rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Mike, I miss her. A lot. Every time I see Kaden, it's like she's looking back at me. I need her. I need her back. Especially now."

Michael wrapped an arm around his brother. "I know," he whispered. "You know all she ever wanted was for you to be happy. And that means its okay to find someone else."

"Like who?" Troy exclaimed and laughed. "Do you know how small Albuquerque is? Anyone who is my age is already with someone."

"You never know… Anyway, my point is that things happen. You know that more than me but now, I'm experiencing it, too. But, I know, someday it'll be good again. I know that you miss Ellie. We all do. But, we've got Kaden." He said softly as he removed his arm from around Troy.

Troy sighed. "I'm still kind of worried about Dad, though."

"Dad's strong. And we've got each other. Okay? Please don't blame yourself. It's not your fault." Michael said sternly.

Troy rolled his eyes. "I know, Mike. But, it doesn't stop me fearing that it is."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well, judging by your reviews, you should like this chapter :)**

**Don't own HSM

* * *

**

Gabriella pressed play on her stereo and turned to her closet. What to wear? What to wear? Sharpay had told her that the shindig wasn't anything fancy – she had, of course, met Jack – but she should dress up more than she usually did. What the heck did that mean? She worked in suits and lounged around in sweatpants. She had a couple of dresses she could wear but she doubted it would even compare to Sharpay's. Then again, no one's clothes compared to Sharpay's.

On the other hand, she wanted to be comfortable and she needed to be comfortable, otherwise she couldn't celebrate her evident epiphany properly. She wasn't a huge drinker of alcohol but she was determined to have a good time. She already had Sharpay, Kelsi and Ryan but now she had Jason, Zeke and Taylor. Lucille, Michael and Kaden seemed really sweet, too. But, now she knew she'd meet Troy and she was intrigued as to how he'd appear in person. Her friends had been begging her to meet him and now it was happening.

She smiled to herself when her eyes fell upon a dress which Sharpay had practically forced her to buy whilst they were on a shopping spree with Kelsi in New York. It was quite Sharpay-ish but it still didn't fit into Sharpay's league. She took it out of her closet and eyed it carefully. It was something she'd only wore once but she had a feeling she could wear it tonight. Sharpay had told her that she looked like a supermodel when she had worn it.

Her cell phone started ringing and she reached into her jeans pocket. She slid it up and held it to her ear after checking the caller ID. "Hey, Daddy. What's up?"

"Nothing's up. I'm just checking up on my favourite daughter now that she's even further away from me and your mom." Greg replied.

"Daddy, I'm your only daughter." Gabriella rolled her eyes.

There was a slight rustling and suddenly Maria, Gabriella's mother, was on the phone. "Honey, are you okay? How's Albuquerque?"

"Mom, I'm fine." Gabriella answered as she walked over to her floor length mirror and held the dress up to her body. "Albuquerque's great. Shar, Kels and Ry introduced me to a couple more of their friends."

"Yeah? You feeling better?" She asked softly.

"I'm feeling great, Mom. I'm going to a party or shindig or something to celebrate." Gabriella replied.

"That's great, honey. How's your new practice coming along?"

Gabriella smiled to herself. "It's great. I've employed a woman called Taylor. She's friends with Shar, Kels and Ry, too."

"And your client? Isn't he friends with Sharpay and everyone?" Maria asked.

Gabriella laughed softly to herself. "Yeah. His son is the same age as my friends and he taught everyone gym when they went to East High."

"That's nice. When are you coming up here?" She asked quietly.

Gabriella sighed and set her dress neatly on her bed. "I don't know, Mom. I'm sorry. I mean, I'm going to need as many cases as possible because my practice is just starting up and I want to settle down a bit. I'll go up and visit you soon, I promise. But, I want to settle in."

"I know, sweetheart, but we're just worried about you."

Gabriella giggled. "You miss your little girl?"

"Of course we do and we're worried about you." Maria said softly. "You've been through a lot in the past couple of months."

"I know, Mom. But, right now I need to be with my friend." She whispered.

"Okay, darling. Well, call soon, okay?"

"Okay, Mom. I love you." She whispered.

"Love you, too." Maria said before Gabriella's phone beeped.

She sighed and slid it down, hanging up. She missed her parents immensely. She hadn't seen them since Christmas but she knew that she needed the comfort from her friends. Her parents were worried about her, she knew, but she needed some time to figure things out in her own head in her own time.

She shook the thoughts from her head and changed into her dress, throwing her jeans and t-shirt into her hamper. She sat down at her vanity and began straightening her hair, then clipped her dark locks away from her face with two silver clips. She applied a little make up to her face and then got to her feet. She slipped some sliver ballet flats onto her feet and then stood back in front of her mirror. The dress was spaghetti strap with tiny blue bows where each strap connected to the dress. It was pale blue with a white ribbon tied at the back at her waist and it fell just above her knees.

The doorbell rang and she smiled to herself as she grabbed her cell phone and white jacket. She rushed down the stairs and rushed to pull the door open. The moment she saw Sharpay – as predicted in a sparkly and pink dress – they both screamed and hugged each other. "Party!" They exclaimed together.

"Wow, Gabs, you look amazing." Sharpay gushed.

"Thank you. My parents called a while back." She said softly.

"Yeah?" Sharpay asked carefully.

Gabriella nodded as she slipped her jacket on. "Yeah. They want me to visit them in Cali. I said I need my friends."

Sharpay hugged her. "You'll be great. Come on." She gave her friend a bright smile.

Gabriella nodded with determination as she reached for her keys and stepped outside. "You're right." She locked her house and turned to her friend. "I told you. Austin can bloody well fuck off."

Sharpay looked at her friend in shock. "Wow. I've never heard you swear like that before."

Gabriella shrugged as they wandered down her driveway towards Sharpay's car where Zeke was sitting behind the wheel. "Well, he deserves it."

* * *

When Gabriella, Sharpay and Zeke entered the house, the shindig was in full swing. Down the corridor, Gabriella could see Lucille and Jack placing plates of food on the large table. Everyone else was in the lounge and music was playing quietly in the background. The TV was on, showing Spongebob for Kaden and Naomi but most of the noise was coming from everyone else who were simply joking around with each other. The house was big and the walls were filled of pictures of Jack's family.

"Gabs, feel free to put your coat anywhere." Sharpay brought the young woman out of her thoughts.

Gabriella nodded and shrugged her jacket off and gratefully handed it to Zeke who hung her coat on one of the hooks with Sharpay's and his. "This place is so cool."

"You want to tell that to Jack. Come on." Sharpay pulled her through to the kitchen and grinned. "Hey, guys."

Jack and Lucille looked up and smiled broadly. "Hey, Gabriella." Jack greeted warmly. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Thanks. Your ranch and house is really nice. It's awesome." Gabriella admired.

"Thank you." He said sincerely.

Lucille rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's so house proud, he'll get his apron and duster if you don't take your shoes off."

Jack glared playfully at her. "One time I vacuum the entire house and you plague me for life."

She giggled and then gestured to the counter which was lined with beer bottles, glasses, and bottles of wine. "You guys want a drink?"

Zeke nodded and went over to the drinks. "White wine, Pay?"

"Yeah, honey." Sharpay answered.

"What do you want, Gabs?" Zeke asked.

"I'm not much of a drinker. Do you have any orange juice?" She asked.

Zeke pulled the fridge open and picked the carton up, showing it to Gabriella. "It's cool. I've got to drive, anyway, so I'm not drinking either."

After Zeke had poured Gabriella's juice, Sharpay's wine and he got a glass of soda, they went into the lounge, leaving Jack and Lucille alone. "Gabby!" Kaden immediately squealed and scrambled to his feet to hug her legs.

Sharpay took Gabriella's drink off of her to allow Gabriella to pick him up. "Hey, Kaden. How are you?"

"Great." He pointed over to Naomi. "This is my best friend, Naomi. She's Auntie Taylor's daughter."

Gabriella set him on the ground and smiled at Naomi. "You are a pretty little girl, aren't you? I'm Gabby."

"Nice to meet you." Naomi said politely.

Gabriella took her juice back as Taylor stood up. "Hey Taylor."

Taylor smiled and beckoned with her hand to Chad who hurried to her side. "Gabby, this is my husband, Chad. Chad, this is my new boss and Shar's friend, Gabby."

"Nice to meet you." He smiled pleasantly at her as he shook her hand.

"Same here." She smiled as she sipped her juice.

Sharpay suddenly looked around. "Where's Troy?"

Kelsi got to her feet, a glass of wine in her hand. "He had an emergency and had to leave a couple of hours ago but he's getting ready now. He should be done soon."

"Yay." Sharpay squealed excitedly.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd accuse you of being more excited to see Troy than me." Zeke teased.

"Never." She whispered as she leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Pay." He whispered, kissing her temple.

Gabriella laughed softly. "Gosh, Shar, I didn't know you could be this in love."

"Well, it was tricky being away from him so I didn't act like I am now because I missed him." She replied.

"Okay, I'm ready to start the shindig!" A voice exclaimed.

Everyone turned to the doorway as Troy entered the room, immediately going over to Chad as they hugged. Gabriella felt her mouth go dry. _That_ was Troy Bolton? Jack's son? Whoa. She thought she'd been lucky when she had met Austin but Troy was different. He was tall. Well, nearly everyone was taller than her but, he was tall in a way which made her like being small. Like he'd protect her. God, she hasn't said one word to the guy and she was acting like this? His eyes were the same as Jack's: bright blue, kind and full of life despite the problems occurring. His hair was dirty blonde and he had gelled it so it stuck up. His plain white button-up shirt showed off his muscular chest and his blue jeans made him look younger than the twenty six years she knew he had.

"That's Troy?" She managed to get out.

Sharpay raised her eyebrows inquisitively. "Yeah…It is. By the way, you might want to shut your mouth a little bit."

"You didn't tell me he looks like that." She whined.

"Does that mean you'd have wanted to meet him if I'd told you?" Sharpay asked slyly whilst Zeke approached Troy, Chad, Jason and Ryan.

"I didn't say that." She muttered as she sipped her orange juice.

Sharpay wrapped an arm around her friend. "It's okay to like another guy. Like I said: you're single and you're young and beautiful, you don't have to feel guilty."

"Even if I do feel something for Troy," she saw Sharpay open her mouth and she continued hurriedly, "hypothetically, Shar, that's not saying he'd feel anything for me."

"But, think about it: you'll only know if you try." Sharpay whispered.

"Daddy!" A sweet voice cried as Kaden scrambled to his feet and ran over to tug on Troy's jeans.

Troy grinned and bent to pick him up. "Hey, champ. What's up?"

"Have you met Gabby? She's a friend of Grandpa's." He said brightly.

"I can't say I have." He mumbled as he turned around to face Sharpay and Gabriella. He strode over to them and looked down on Gabriella, his free hand outstretched. "Hi."

Gabriella tentatively shook his hand and giggled softly. "Hi."

"Troy." He introduced himself whilst looking deeply into her eyes, their hands still interlocked.

"Gabriella." She whispered.

"You're friends with my dad?" He asked in bewilderment.

Gabriella glanced at Kaden, unsure of how much Troy had told him. "Try lawyer. I'm Shar's best friend."

Troy suddenly realised and released her hand. He set Kaden on the ground and smiled down on her. "You're a lawyer."

"Your brother said exactly the same thing." She teased. "You know, I am qualified."

"No, no, no, I believe you." Troy scratched his neck nervously. "I just… When Dad said he had hired Kelsi's friend as his lawyer from New York, I wasn't expecting…you."

"I think I'll take that as a compliment." She smiled charmingly up at him.

"You should." He nodded encouragingly.

Sharpay smiled brightly at the interaction occurring before her. "Oh, my god." She whispered.

"Mike seems to think he has a shot with me." She admitted softly.

"Really? And does he?" Troy asked, scratching his cheek in anticipation.

"No." Gabriella shook her head softly.

Sharpay gasped, praying that her best friend wouldn't break down now.

"He doesn't? Well, I'd bet your boyfriend gets lost of jealous stares." He mumbled.

"Actually," Gabriella started as she set her drink on the coffee table, "he doesn't have a chance because I don't really date younger guys."

Troy raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. By the way, Kaden is a really sweet boy. He's beautiful."

Troy smiled softly. "Thank you. Lucy has helped me a lot. He's everything to me."

* * *

Troy drank a mouthful from his can of beer and sighed. Damn Kelsi! She never told him that her lawyer friend was like…that. She was all sweet and innocent and so gorgeous. She was interesting to talk to. He knew that. He could tell that she was searching for happiness. He didn't know why a woman like her would need to _search_ for it but he knew she deserved it. They had talked for a while before Chad, Zeke, Jason and Ryan wanted to talk to him. Why? He had no idea. He hadn't been listening at all.

He hadn't even thought about dating women since Ellie had died. Well, he had but it had never occurred to him that he'd _need _to. He had Kaden and as he'd told Gabriella, he was everything to Troy. He had Jack and Michael and all of his friends who he owed so much to but knew they wouldn't accept anything. Recently, Taylor had begun hinting that Kaden would need someone he could call 'Mommy' but he didn't want anyone other than Ellie. He'd been through the process: refusal to believe she'd died, anger that he'd overlooked the possibility that she'd die through childbirth…and then acceptance. He knew she wasn't coming back. But, he didn't want anyone else.

He didn't need a complication that usually came with looking for a relationship. His marriage with Ellie had been far from perfect, they'd had their own fights and disagreements, but they'd been so in love that they'd forget it an hour later. But, what were the chances he'd find another woman like that?

Admittedly, he felt somewhat of a ninth wheel when he went out with his friends and saw how they were all married or getting married and he wasn't. He'd sit there and talk with them for a while but would inevitably end up thinking about Ellie and how they had been completely in love since Troy asked her to the spring fling in their sophomore year.

But, the bottom line was that Gabriella had to be special to be making him think like this. He liked her. If only because Kaden liked her, he liked her. Taylor had been right. She was easy to get along with. He had to admit he hadn't ever met a lawyer but he wasn't expecting someone so beautiful and caring. He had imagined lawyers to only want the money they made but Gabriella seemed to genuinely care for Jack.

"So, what do you think of Gabriella?" Michael asked.

Troy turned his head to his brother and glared. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" He asked slyly.

"You're my brother. You know what!" Troy exclaimed.

"I didn't think you'd care, quite frankly." Michael muttered.

"But, how? How did you meet her?"

"Lucy and I took Kaden out for lunch and we met her when she was eating with Shar." Michael explained.

"She says that you seem to think you've got a shot with her." Troy teased.

"Nah! She's not my type." Michael pretended to be interested in his drink.

"You mean smart, funny, charming and…what's that word you said to Lucy?" Troy asked himself. Whilst getting his drink, after his conversation with Gabriella and then his friends, Lucille had informed him of Michael's opinion of the young lawyer. "Oh, yeah. Hot."

Michael rolled his eyes and shoved Troy's shoulder. "I'm glad to see you cheered up."

Troy smiled and ruffled his brother's hair. "Hey, I'll be fine."

Michael laughed. "I know that. You should see your face whenever you see Kaden. It's like Kaden is your own source of hope. Like…he gives you something to live for."

"He's one of the main reasons I'm still here." Troy whispered.

Michael nodded. "I know. But, hey. Maybe Gabriella will hang around this place even after Mom and Dad's divorce. I don't think Shar would give her the chance to leave."

"Where is she from? I mean, before New York?" Troy asked curiously.

"California, I think. Shar said something about Silicon Valley." Michael said thoughtfully.

"Wow. For someone who has lived in big cities, she's…like a small town girl. Like Kels. She's down to Earth." Troy said softly.

"Wow." Michael said slowly. "When you and Ellie got together, I was eight years old and I thought it was sick that you could kiss a girl. Then I grew up and realised that you were sickeningly in love so it was still disturbing. And now this Gabriella chick comes along and it's started all over again."

"I'm not in love with her! I just met her." Troy exclaimed.

Michael shrugged. "As opposed to Ellie… Troy, think about it, would it to Ellie?"

Troy shrugged. "I don't know."

Michael raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"She'd want me to." Troy muttered.

"Exactly." Michael raised his eyebrows.

Troy looked into the living room where nearly everyone was dancing…except Gabriella. She was sat on the floor, helping Kaden and Naomi colour in some pictures. She looked happy and he knew instantly that she'd be a good mother. Even in her dress, she happy sitting on the floor, talking to Kaden and Naomi. He smiled to himself. Kaden obviously liked her by the way he was giggling to himself whilst colouring the pictures.

He took another drink from his beer. "It doesn't mean that it's Gabriella. She's Dad's lawyer for crying out loud!"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Suit yourself."

Troy placed his beer car on the mantel beside him and made his way through his dancing friends to crouch down next to Gabriella. "Having fun?"

She turned to face him and laughed in embarrassment. "I am. It's great. These two cheeky monkeys somehow persuaded me to help them colour in."

Troy looked down on the pad of paper in front of the two three year olds and he raised his eyebrows at Gabriella. "Do you know what it's supposed to be?" He whispered.

She shook her head. "Not a clue."

He laughed and changed position so he was sitting cross-legged next to her. "Sounds about right."

She continued to colour in what she assumed was the lines and glanced at Troy. "How are you feeling about everything?"

Troy shrugged and grabbed a blue colouring pencil. "I don't know. I haven't really figured it out yet."

Gabriella nodded with understanding and looked across at him. "But, I think you're an amazing father. Kaden is really sweet and…word of advice: don't let him go to art school. He'd get kicked out."

Troy laughed and nodded. "Yeah. I dropped art halfway through high school."

Gabriella giggled. "So, he inherited it from you?"

Troy nodded. "He must have. Ellie was excellent at art. I assume my dad told you about her and me."

Gabriella nodded. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

He smiled across at her. "Hey, it doesn't matter. Things happen and there's nothing you can do about it. I'm okay with it now and I've got Kaden. He's the spitting image of Ellie. Except she had brown eyes…like yours."

She blushed lightly and turned back to the colouring. "Well, Kaden's gorgeous. He's got your eyes."

Troy nodded. "He does. The only thing in his appearance of me. I wouldn't have it any other way."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: ZZ9PluralZAlpha wrote this. He wrote this while I was concentrating on my exams :) I think it's awesome! Oh, btw, check out Gabriella's car. Google it. It's super cool.**

**Don't own HSM x

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**

Chapter Six

"So what you're saying," Jack summarised, frowning over the mug of coffee gripped between his large, capable hands, "is that this meeting Meaghan wants is probably just to see if we can settle out of court?"

Gabriella removed the small, stylish glasses she wore from the bridge of her nose and straightened up the paperwork before her, though her eyes strayed back to the mug. It had to be scolding hot, he had poured it a matter of minutes before, and yet his knuckles were pale with the tension that coursed through him. This was taking a lot out of her client, and she had determined early on to make this as easy for him as possible.

It was to that end that she had decided to meet with him here, at his home. It was unusual, especially since she had a perfectly good office, but Jack needed familiar surroundings. He was on edge with the whole situation, and was lucky he got on with Gabriella so well. She was a long way from being a medical expert, but it didn't take a medical degree to see that it wouldn't take much to nudge Jack into a breakdown of some kind.

And so, they sat around the well-scrubbed, well-used table in the large kitchen, and Gabriella felt like she was on an undercover mission, having forgone the usual lawyer uniform of a smart suit in favour of jeans and plain blouse, with blessedly comfortable flats instead of high-powered, man-eater heels. And surprisingly enough, she felt comfortable too. It was something about the room, she reasoned. A lot of people lived significant parts of their lives in this room, and that had almost ingrained itself in the fabric, in the furniture and fittings. Like the timber that made the base of the doorframe in from the yard: polished to a stony-smoothness by time and the trampling of feet.

Realising Jack was still waiting for her answer, she hurried to give him one. "That's my best guess at the minute. You see, as the case seems to stand at the minute, your wife isn't going to want this to go as far as the courts, Mr. Bolton."

"Jack," he corrected absentmindedly, still frowning over his mug. He was another reason for the comfort she felt around here, she realised, despite his own discomfort. He was big, and he was uncomplicated, and he seemed to belong to the room even more than the room belonged to him. She hadn't known him long, but couldn't help liking him, and more over trusting him. There was no duplicity in him, not a hint of deception or malice, and that was all the more refreshing to someone in her profession.

"Jack," she agreed, smiling at him. "Basically, at the moment, if this does get as far as a court, we'd win pretty much straight away. There's no evidence of any wrongdoing on your part, and no proof of any of the reasons Meaghan might bring. She claims you're having an affair, but there's nothing to support the claim, and it honestly seems more like paranoia than a serious claim. Any judge would have to rule in our favour."

Jack took another sip of coffee, his gaze not deviating from the knot in the woodwork of the table that he was staring at. "So, what are our options, assuming that is what the meeting's for?"

Gabriella shrugged. "Two real options: settle out of court, or fight the case in it. Settling would mean agreeing to pay Meaghan alimony, but you would be divorced much quicker, which might make it easier for both of you, and would make an amicable relationship still possible, even if it doesn't seem like it now. Fighting might well mean not having to pay a penny, but would take a lot longer, is generally much harder to keep quiet, and is generally much more likely to lead to bad feeling later on. Still, we would win."

"And what would you suggest?"

So many other clients, she realised, wouldn't ask that. They would assume that they knew better, that they could predict better what would happen one way or another. Still others wanted lawyers more as walking, talking legal textbooks rather than for them actually to do their job. It was pretty rare for someone to ask her her opinion.

Gabriella was aware that if the case was different, she would advise him to fight it, and also that many of her colleagues would advise him that way now, regardless of the facts of the case. But Jack wasn't in it for the win, so the course of action was obvious. "Jack, I think you should settle. From what I know of the situation, you're looking for as peaceful a solution as possible, not to crush and humiliate her. If you settle we'll be able to keep this quiet, and with the right attitude we can keep the terms very fair, and no one will have to suffer much longer." She faltered, suddenly unsure of herself. "That... is what you want, right?"

Jack nodded decisively, setting down the much at last. "I don't want to hurt her," he stated. "I mean, she's my wife. Sure, I'll probably feel bitter for a while, but..." He trailed off, before staring out the window towards the wide, green field stretching away from them, the green grass appearing golden in the afternoon sunlight. "I love her," he finished, his voice little more than a whisper.

Gabriella didn't say anymore, but left her client to his thoughts, collecting her papers and placing them in her briefcase as quietly as possible. She slipped out like a shadow, and headed over to her car. The Dodge Crossfire looked almost comical next to the hulking bevy of pick-up trucks, station wagons and four-by-fours in the yard, but had already picked up the almost uniform patina of red-brown dust shared by all the farm vehicles. It would mean a heavy clean later, but Gabriella found she didn't mind: It made her feel almost like she belonged here, and it was no bad thing, she mused, to belong – however peripherally – to this family that was larger than itself, that grew to include the community that surrounded the ranch until it was more about life than about work. A family that would cheerfully expand to accommodate any who asked, provided they showed the right respect for the way things were here. There were far worse ways for anyone to live their life, she concluded.

She slid into the driver's seat, closed the door and put the key in the ignition.

***

Troy entered the kitchen and set his bag on the floor, before noticing his dad at the counter, pouring a cup of coffee. A big one, too. He frowned. Jack Bolton was a creature of habit, right down to when he drank throughout the day. It was now five thirty, and Jack always had a cup at five. In fact, when Troy glanced to the draining rack, he saw a rather smaller cup that had recently been washed up. Something had to be up.

"You okay, Dad?"

Jack turned, seemingly caught unawares by his son's sudden appearance, although Troy hadn't been quiet when he entered. "Huh? Oh... hi Troy. Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Troy folded his arms, one eyebrow raising eloquently. That had been... a long way from reassuring. "Dad? What's up?"

Jack exhaled heavily, turning to his son with the fresh mug in one hand and passing the other across his face, a gesture Troy had picked up from him: both men made the same movement when they felt stressed. "It's just been a bit of a rough day, son. I just finished a meeting with Gabriella."

Troy frowned. He had always trusted Kelsi's judgement, but... "Is there some problem with her?"

"What? No! No, she's great. I mean, who would believe, a lawyer with morals? Nah, she's just fine. I've been impressed, actually. She's very sensitive. It's just..." His hand made that same motion before he took a long swig from his mug. "With the best will in the world, and however sensitive the lawyer is, it got me thinking about... things, you know?" Troy nodded, understanding perfectly. "Yeah, got me remembering. And wondering how it ever got to this."

Troy crossed over to stand next to Jack and poured his own mug, while discreetly placing a comforting hand on his dad's shoulder. It was probably a consequence of the type of life they led, but the Bolton men had never been that big on expressing emotion, apart from with significant others. They were very much the exception, though, and that one gesture, though simple and understated, meant more to Jack than an observer might have guessed. Troy turned to his dad and opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. The hesitation was caused by the bizarre sounds coming from the yard, floating through the open window. There was the futile whining of a struggling engine, the cough and splutter of an exhaust not quite coping, a few random, muffled thumps, and a weird, siren-like noise that Troy couldn't even guess at. He opened the back door, and couldn't help smiling when he saw the source of the sounds.

When they had met at the party, Troy's impression of Gabriella had been distant, somehow. Sure, she was really nice, had got on well with everyone and had even been a major hit with Kaden. And yet, there was something unapproachable about her that night. She hadn't power-dressed, aiming to intimidate, and 'lawyer' was certainly not the first thing an observer might have guessed when looking at her, but she had still been cool and elegant, and in some strange way she had seemed beyond reach to Troy. Her current situation, though, certainly made her seem more human.

Gabriella's Dodge Crossfire was still parked between his Dad's truck and Lucille's beaten up old Volvo. The noises were emanating from it, including the muffled thumps, which were Gabriella pounding the steering wheel in frustration, and the siren sound, which Gabriella was producing more directly. Instead of swearing or shouting at the car, her voice was alternating weirdly from a low, angry growl to a high, frustrated shriek, and somehow she didn't seem to be pausing for breath.

Troy grinned and sauntered over, tapping lightly on the window. The sounds all stopped abruptly, and Gabriella rolled the window down, a slightly sheepish expression on her face.

"Er... hi, Troy."

"Hi. Having some trouble?"

Gabriella exhaled explosively and collapsed back in the driver's seat. "Damn car won't start. I'm gonna have to call break down."

Troy chuckled, and opened the driver door. "Before you get a mechanic lost trying to direct them out here to the middle of nowhere, why don't I take a look at it? I'm pretty good with cars, I might be able to help."

"Oh no, I don't want to be any trouble..."

"It's not. Look, I know dad's your client, but if you're friends with Kelsi, Sharpay and all the others, becoming friends with us is going to be pretty much unavoidable. Just let me take a look. I expect it's a problem with the exhaust, or maybe it overheated..."

Troy kept speaking, but was degenerating into mechano-babble, and Gabriella could only understand about one in every three words. She got up, smiling ruefully, and gratefully let Troy pop the hood and start poking around. She should have expected this, if she was honest. Fixing a visitor's car just seemed like something that would happen at the Bolton ranch.

With the gentle sound of Troy's tinkering in the background, she stood and surveyed the land. The sun was hovering as if suspended over the mountains in the distance, turning the underside of the few clouds a beautiful pink-gold, while an evening mist was finally relieving the unremitting heat that had lasted all day, sighing through the long grass and whispering over her exposed arms and her face. Despite the car, she felt totally at peace. It was something about the place, she was sure, but it felt like the stresses, the cares that so afflicted her in the outside world couldn't touch her here.

"Hey!"

She jerked, falling out of the reverie she had slipped into at her contemplation of her surroundings. Troy was grinning at her from under her bonnet, and she couldn't help smiling back. His was a very honest face, quite apart from how attractive it was _(stop it stop it stop it)_, and she found she could read his feelings very clearly. Either that, or he was very good at hiding them.

"Huh?" She cursed internally. She had realised that he was expecting a reply, but her brain seemed to have gone on strike, and 'huh' was about as good as she could come up with on short notice.

"Are you okay? You were really out of it for a moment there."

She pulled herself together, and tried not to look too embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking. You know, it's really beautiful here."

Troy looked around, his eyes seeming to go far away for a moment. "I know. I always feel lucky for living here."

He was silent for a while, and eventually Gabriella felt the need to break the silence. "So... did you want something?"

"Huh?" He seemed almost to have forgotten she was there. "Oh! Yeah, sorry, I did. I asked whether you could go fetch my toolkit. It's just over in the barn, you shouldn't be able to miss it."

Gabriella grinned. She felt better about getting lost in her thoughts when he went and did the exact same thing. "Sure. I'll just be a sec."

The barn in fact formed one side of the large yard, although the big double doors between the two were padlocked for the moment. Gabriella made her way round until she reached another door, this one ajar. The light inside was dim, and dry, earthy smells assailed her. She wasn't used to them, but still, they smelled warm, and obscurely comforting. She took a step in... and stopped dead.

It wasn't as if she hadn't seen kids since her own tragedy, or even kids playing with their parents. She wasn't sure if it was her mood, or the setting, or the fact that she knew these two, if only just a little, but when she saw Kaden and Lucille playing together in the barn, throwing straw at each other in their own little private war, and laughing as if nothing could possibly make this any better...

She just snapped. It was the frozen, living-dead thing she had relapsed into in the restaurant. Rather, it was what that semi-catatonia had been repressing, and what she probably should have been doing ever since the doctor told her those dreadful words. She dived out of the barn, throwing herself against the wall next to the door, as she struggled violently to hold in the scream of agony that was threatening to burst from her. She had no wish to upset the happy play that was going on mere feet away.

Victims of chance, those who come off worse for no better reason than that fate was feeling pissy, don't actually say the words 'Why me?' all that often. It's seen as self-pity, which is a negative thing for some reason. However, every single one of them thinks it. In the dark corners of their mind, all of them complain to the unfeeling universe of the injustice they're suffering. It was that, more or less that raged through Gabriella as the tears coursed down her face and soaked her light blouse. As she strove to remain silent, all she could think was why she should be denied that simple pleasure, why had every important thing in her life been ripped from her in such a short time, and why should she have to endure the pain of what might have been. The tears weren't enough, but they were all she had.

She wasn't aware of time passing. There was just the sun, slowly slipping further in the sky, and the cool breeze, and the tears, and the pain, and it seemed there would never be anything else. And then she felt arms around her. She couldn't see who it was holding her, who was comforting her, as her eyes were next to useless, with the tears and the low sun effectively blinding her. At first, irrationally, she thought it was Austin. There was something about the way the arms felt around her that was so familiar... She wondered if it might be Sharpay, or Kelsi, but the arms were too big for either of them. Ryan? No, she knew what his hugs felt like. Who...

"Shh, calm down, Gabi. Calm down. Shh. It'll be ok. You're safe here."

So, obviously not someone who knew why she might be crying. All of her friends had been considerate enough never to use the words 'it'll be okay' to her. She put the pieces together.

"Troy?"

Her voice was dry and scratchy, barely audible, but he pulled away to look into her eyes.

"Hi. I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do... look, you need to drink, you'll be getting de-hydrated. Can you stand?"

But when he pulled her to her feet, her legs simply gave way under her. Troy scooped her up before she hit the ground and simply carried her the short distance to the empty kitchen. He made sure she was safely sat in a kitchen chair before pouring her a glass of water. She took it gratefully and sipped slowly. The tears slowed, and finally stopped. It seemed incredible, but they actually stopped. And finally, she looked up at him.

Concern was written all over his face, and those deep, sapphire eyes held curiosity, sympathy and... understanding. Recognition. She blinked, her eyes clearing further. Yes, she could see how that would make sense. Troy, who had lost the lover of his life, might just be able to imagine the kind of pain she was feeling. Maybe there was someone who could help her through this. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Listen, I know you don't know me well... or at all, really. Still, if you want to talk, I'm willing to listen. Or just to make you a drink, if you don't want to. Just... I do know what it's like to be hurt, Gabriella. I know what it's like to lose the most important thing in the world. I think maybe that happened to you. So, if you ever feel like you need to rant, or have someone tell bad jokes until you're not thinking about it anymore, or anything at all really, you know where to find me."

Impulsively she reached across and rested one small, brown hand on his big, capable one.

"Thanks Troy. That means a lot to me." She was still croaking, but her voice was returning. She took another drink of water, not feeling the need to remove her hand from where it rested. All of a sudden, her mind was made up.

"If you're willing to listen, I'd like to tell you, I think. Are you sure it's okay?" He nodded once, his expression serious, and Gabriella took a deep breath.

"It all started, I guess, at the beginning of my last year at Columbia..."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I hope you like it. I just had my last exam! Woohoo! Bring on the summer :P**

**Don't own HSM x

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**

Gabriella smiled slightly across at Troy as she began her story. Albeit the obvious pain still surging powerfully through her veins, she felt no embarrassment at showing it in front of Troy. It sounded silly even in her own mind but she couldn't stop feeling that she needed to tell Troy. If not for her selfish want for someone to understand and to prove to her that things would get better, but for Troy to know that there were people to listen to him, too. She suddenly realised how amazing the man, only two years older than her, actually was. While she had spoken with him at the 'shindig' and listened intently to everything he had said, she hadn't truly seen him shine like he was at that moment. He'd lost his wife, a woman he'd loved and worshipped and helped bring a life into the world. And through the pain and grief he'd felt, he'd raised a beautiful little boy who Gabriella had adored the moment she'd met him.

She suddenly pulled her hand away, realising how inferior she probably seemed to him. While he had struggled through and raised a son, all she had done was work and break down whenever she saw or heard something that brought painful memories. She hadn't helped anybody but had simply allowed people to comfort her.

"Gabi, you okay?" Troy asked, shocked by her sudden silence.

She nodded, her brow creased. "I think so. I think I should get home." She stood up and pushed her chair under the table.

Troy rushed to his feet and grabbed her hand, preventing her from moving more than a foot away. "You've only just started. I meant what I said."

She nodded weakly. "I believe you. But, maybe that's it: I can't match up to you. After everything you've been through, everything that came your way, you managed to raise the most amazing three year old boy I've ever met. I haven't done anything like that. It never occurred to me!"

Troy swiftly brought her into his arms as more tears fell. "It's not about matching up to me, okay? I raised Kaden because I knew Ellie would kick my ass when I got to heaven if I didn't."

Gabriella giggled breathlessly as she pulled away enough to look at him. "Any woman in her right mind would."

"Exactly. If you felt that you _couldn't_ help someone, then I want you to tell me what happened so that I can help you. Kaden held a part of Ellie, like I told you. And I guess raising him brought her back a little bit," Troy confessed.

She nodded timidly and swiped her tears away. "Okay. But, promise me something, okay?"

He nodded solemnly. "Anything. Within reason."

"Promise me you'll tell me some bad jokes at the end? I know I'll need cheering up." She looked up at him, her mocha eyes brimming with tears and vulnerability.

Troy laughed, a sound that seemed musical to Gabriella's ears. "I promise."

Gabriella held her pinkie up. "Pinkie promise?"

Troy hooked his much larger pinkie around hers and nodded. "Pinkie promise."

Gabriella nodded and then looked down at her feet again. "I apologise in advance for anymore tears that might come."

"Before you start," Troy started as he removed his arms from her petite frame and Gabriella immediately missed his embrace, "can we not do this here? I don't want Kaden to come in here. Only, he adores you and it would break his heart if you were upset."

Gabriella wrapped her arms around herself and nodded. "Of course. Where can we go?"

Troy thought it over briefly before a mischievous smile spread over his handsome face. He knew exactly where they could go. Somewhere no one went except Kaden and he only went there if Troy was with him. He knew that they would be completely excluded from other occupiers of the ranch and guessed that Gabriella could use some privacy.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked nervously, shuffling her feet.

He stepped forward, taking her tiny hand in his larger one. "How are you with heights?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Okay, I guess."

Troy nodded as he began leading her out of the kitchen. "Good," he said matter-of-factly.

"Where are we going?" Gabriella asked innocently.

Troy suddenly turned to her and took a deep breath. "You need somewhere you can think. You're the first woman to see this place."

She frowned, suddenly self-conscious. "Ellie didn't see this place?"

He shook his head. "No. I didn't have a reason to have a place to think when she was here."

She looked into his eyes. "If you'd rather not show me, that's fine. But,"

"Hey!" he interrupted. "Not a chance. You want to tell me what happened, that's cool and I'm glad you feel you can trust me. I just don't want Kaden to see you upset."

She finally nodded in agreement and followed him willingly. She didn't know where he was taking her or why heights were involved, but she trusted him. She felt him squeeze her hand and suddenly felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "Troy?"

"Yeah?" he called over his shoulder as they approached a large tree and he turned to her. "What?"

"You'll still fix my car, right? I need my car," she mumbled.

He chuckled. "I think I can do that," he teased. "Besides, it won't take long. It turned out to be what I said. You understand anything I said, did you?"

"You mentioned something about the exhaust, right?" she asked quietly.

He laughed and nodded. "Yeah. And, uh, if you get any problems with it in the future, don't be afraid to call me."

Gabriella couldn't decide whether he was talking about her car or about her breaking down. But, she knew she was grateful. As Troy led her to the other side of the trunk and saw a wooden ladder leaning against it, she turned to him. "What's this?"

"I helped my dad build this when I was five. Ever since then, it's kind of been my place. Mike never came up here and Kaden never comes up here without me so, it's just…my place. You want to see it?" he asked gently.

"You sure?" she asked unsurely and turned to the ladder when he nodded. She began climbing the ladder and felt a warmness swell in her stomach as she stepped onto each rung. It was simple: a tree house. But the thing that kept repeating itself in her mind was how only Troy, Jack and Kaden had seen it. No one else. While she was very self-conscious of this, she also felt a small sense of pride that he trusted her enough. She didn't know what she wanted them to be, but she knew she wanted, and to some extent needed, him in her life. She'd never felt like that before. Never felt that she depended on anyone. She had always been the wind: free and independent. She knew what she'd wanted from life and she'd fought her way to get it.

She hoisted her self onto the small wooden platform that surrounded the actual house and waited for Troy to follow. "Wow," she whispered as she slowly walked around the platform, taking in the entire thing. "This place is amazing." She reached through a small window and picked up some folded up red material. She let it unravel from her fingers and wandered around to Troy. "A cape?"

He shrugged sheepishly and snatched it from her playfully. "It's Kaden's." He began folding it again and set inside the house again. "We've had some good times up here!"

She giggled as she leaned against the house's wall. "It sure looks it."

"You want to go inside?" Troy offered, gesturing to the doorway.

Gabriella smiled up at him and bent down, stepping through the small arch carved into the wall. She immediately found it easier for her back to kneel down and she took in the small house. It wasn't much but she could tell that Troy liked it. The wall directly opposite the doorway was completely covered in pictures of Troy, Kaden and some were even of Ellie. There were two beanbag chairs up against one wall underneath the window and a trunk full of toys was pushed up against the other. "You made yourself at home."

Troy crawled in beside her and took a seat on one of the beanbags. "Of course. I'm part owner. Take a seat."

Gabriella crawled over and got comfortable in the other chair. "Thank you for showing me your top secret hiding place."

"It's hardly top secret." He shrugged.

"Close enough."

"So, you can talk whenever you're ready," he said.

Gabriella instinctively reached for his hand again, shocking both him and her. However, neither of them pulled away and Gabriella looked intently at the wooden floor, gathering her thoughts. "I told you, it began in my last year at Columbia. I met Kels and Shar and they all introduced me to a friend called Austin. To say I was inexperienced with guys is the understatement of the century because all I wanted was to be a lawyer. But, Austin was different. He understood my want to work. We started going out and it got serious. Really, really quickly."

In the slight pause, Troy shuffled closer to her. He didn't say anything but looked over at her. She noticed the look she was receiving. It was something alien to her. But, she liked it. It told her he was listening. She took a deep breath and continued, "He proposed only a short while after we went out. It had only four months since our first date, believe it or not." The look on his face told her it was more likely he'd believe that a pig could fly. "It went crazily fast. But, I honestly loved him. I thought he was the one. Anyway, um," she suddenly turned a soft red and turned away, "we kind of celebrated the proposal. You can probably fill in the blanks. It was my first time and it was perfect. Since then, our relationship got stronger and then about six months after the proposal, I found out I was pregnant."

She finally calmed her embarrassment down and turned back to him. "I was really happy. I mean, I'd always wanted to wait until I was married for kids but when I found out, it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was how much I loved Austin. He was as happy as I was and everyone else felt the same. My parents were a little disappointed that I wasn't married but they were really excited to be grandparents."

Her smile suddenly faded and she released Troy's hand, wrapping both arms around her knees, bringing them close to her chest. Her gaze turned to the floor and Troy wrapped his arms around her again. She once again noticed the difference between his hugs and Ryan's or Zeke's. It was different. There wasn't a hint of brotherliness she always felt around Ryan. It was like…when Austin had held her.

"Come on, you can do this," he whispered softly.

She nodded, more to herself than to him. "I was about two months pregnant. I was excited. I was pregnant! I'd never really thought about kids, you know. All I'd ever wanted was to be a lawyer. But, it felt amazing." A hand subconsciously moved to her stomach. "I had a child inside of me. I hadn't been very far along the pregnancy but I still felt my baby and I felt an instant love and protection for it." She turned to him suddenly and tears began to drip down her cheeks. "I was at the office and I felt a pain in my stomach and lost consciousness. I woke up in the hospital. I'd had a miscarriage. It was something rare. I don't remember what it was. I just remember thinking how I wanted Austin to hold me and how thankful I was that he was there for me.

"Well, he wasn't so…I don't know. He came into the hospital and I told him that I'd lost the baby. I still don't know why it happened. I ate healthily, I never smoke or drank while I was pregnant. Or at all, really. And he basically said that he never wanted to see me ag-" she broke off with a sob, immediately turning into Troy's strong and protective embrace. She let go of her knees and snaked her arms tightly around Troy's torso, taking as much comfort as she could from his embrace.

Troy didn't know what to do. Whatever he'd expected hadn't been…that. He'd expected part of it: the bad break up. Just not the miscarriage. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like. If he had lost Ellie without Kaden, he couldn't even imagine living without either of them in his life. While losing Ellie had been like holding his breath, painful and he'd been certain he would die, he had had Kaden to fall back on. He had Kaden to keep him occupied and to bring Ellie's memories to life. No wonder she'd broken down. She'd lost everything she'd ever wanted. She'd planned her entire future with…_Austin_ and had seen them living in a house together and bringing up a family. She'd given herself to him and had felt their child growing inside of her.

And he'd hurt her.

Troy sucked in a deep breath and held her even tighter to his body. He barely knew the woman in his arms and yet he felt anger begin to stir within his stomach. He'd only felt it with one other woman. Although he'd got angry at guys because they'd hurt Kelsi, Sharpay and Taylor through high school, he'd only felt this anger when he'd seen guys looking at Ellie with a look only he could give her. She'd been okay with it, of course. He'd once told her that she loved his protectiveness and wouldn't change it for anything. She'd known why he'd done it: he was so in love with her and she'd reciprocated the feelings. With him being the basketball captain at East High, he'd had girls throwing themselves at him left, right and centre. However, she'd known he'd stayed faithful and would simply push the other girls away to stride towards Ellie and wrap his arms around her.

Troy shook the thoughts from his head. Gabriella. Now, it was about Gabriella. The anger he felt was…scary. He didn't know much about her and she didn't know him, but he wanted to get to New York, he'd run if he had to, find this _guy_ and kill him. He couldn't believe how anyone could hurt Gabriella. She was so innocent and hard working and she'd only ever showed kindness to everyone he'd seen her interact with.

"Gabi," he murmured into her hair.

She sniffed and pulled back, her lip still quivering. "Oh, my god. I'm so sorry." She wiped her eyes and blushed with embarrassment. "As if I didn't cry enough."

"Hey, hey," he brushed some curls behind her ear and smiled softly, "it's okay to cry. I've got a shoulder right here that isn't doing anything all night. When I lost Ellie, I cried all the time. Which was a shock to the system, I'll tell you that. Let's just say that even though I wasn't a regular jock: you know, I wasn't a player and I was valedictorian, I still didn't cry until I got married. Then, when Ellie passed, I didn't know when to stop."

She nodded slowly. "Well, when it happened, I didn't cry all that much. I just…Shar told me that I just…froze. I didn't talk or show emotion or anything. I only ate and drank because I felt I had to. I had friends. But, it still hurt and the only way I could get through it was by 'freezing'. I didn't mean to. I didn't do it on purpose and I tried desperately not to do it since then because it scared Shar and Kels. But, I did. I can't control it." Tears still rolled down her cheeks and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. She looked down and groaned when she saw black smeared over her hand. "My makeup has run, hasn't it?"

"Hold on." Troy removed one arm from her and dug into his jeans pocket. He produced a tissue and began wiping her cheeks. "I soon figured that you need tissues in the presence of a little boy. Now, can I ask something?"

She nodded, her face slightly rosy from embarrassment of him drying her tears. "Sure."

"Do you want me to kill him? I can totally do that. I mean, I could probably get there. I could run if you wanted me to," he offered, scrunching the tissue up and thrusting it back into his pocket.

She giggled and shook her head. "No. Ryan came close to it, though."

"Ryan?" Troy asked in shock. "Ryan Evans? Who teaches a dance class?"

Gabriella nodded. "That's the guy. He was furious and hunted Austin down and punched him. But, I'm confused. Why do you want to kill him? I can understand Ryan being angry. Austin was his friend. But, you barely know me, much less him."

"But, he hurt you," Troy said obviously. "That's enough to get me angry."

She felt the heat rise in her neck. "That's sweet, you know."

Troy squeezed her shoulders. "I can't imagine going through that. I know you said that you didn't feel that you couldn't match up to me because I raised Kaden but you're wrong. Way wrong. For a lawyer, you're pretty stupid. You better not be this stupid when you're doing my dad's divorce."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she asked slowly.

"Yes," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He paused and furrowed his brow, "in a roundabout way. I meant, I raised Kaden, sure. But, like I said, he's the spitting image of Ellie and it kept her alive, somehow. But, you…You lost everything you saw in your future. You lost the guy you gave yourself to and the baby you created together all at once. That's why you're stupid. But, that's why you're amazing. Ellie passed away but she did for me. She wanted to give me our son." Tears trickled over his smooth cheeks and he wiped them away. He laughed softly. "And I could hold onto that. But…_that guy_ is a," he lowered his voice, "fucking bastard. You've got nothing now. And…I understand why you broke down. Don't be embarrassed by it. I still have days where I just have to hand Kaden over to my dad because I need to be alone."

Gabriella looked into his bright eyes which, despite the obvious tears, still looked soft with happiness. "You're okay though, aren't you? I mean, you didn't just give up."

"No. I was going to," he admitted, "but, I didn't. Believe me, growing up as a jock, I don't give up without a fight. And I looked at Kaden, looked at how fragile and dependent he looked and knew he needed me. Everything turned out okay. I mean, I know my parents are getting a divorce because of me but still…" He diverted his gaze to the wall covered in pictures.

"Because of you? What?" she asked in confusion. "What are you talking about? Jack didn't mention anything about you causing it…I mean, he told me about Ellie and Kaden but…"

Troy took a deep breath, running his hand over his face. "Don't say it's not my fault because I know that. But, I've convinced myself that it is. My mom…she thought I'd want her to raised Kaden. But, I didn't want that." Troy turned to her, pulling her closer to him. "Far from it. As much as Kaden needed me, I needed him. I just needed help with it. I mean, I had just lost my wife and I didn't know how to raise a kid. I know I'd watched Mike grow up, too. But, it's one thing being the older brother and teasing him and another to be the dad and have to raise him! I asked Lucy to help. I didn't know who else to ask. And then, my mom got this stupid idea into her head that my dad was having an affair with her."

Gabriella frowned. "And Meaghan…she blames you?"

Troy shrugged. "Kind of. I know she does. Mike and Dad assure me that it's not my fault. But…" He turned to her, looking deeply into her brown eyes. "It's hard to not see it that way when everything started going wrong in their marriage started when Kaden was born."

Gabriella suddenly giggled and couldn't stop them from getting wilder and louder with every breath. She held a hand to her mouth and laughed harder at his confused expression on his face. His confused expression soon evaporated and took on one of amusement. He was glad that she was laughing. He didn't know why she was laughing but her eyes shined and she reminded him of Kaden when he was playing. She looked just like a little girl playing with her best friend. He couldn't help but laugh along with her and soon they had both fallen off of the beanbags and were lying on the floor, laughing.

Gabriella eventually calmed down and they turned to each other. "What was that about?" he asked through a last chuckle.

"You," she giggled, a grin pulling the corners of her mouth to her eyes.

"Me?" he raised a single brown eyebrow. "Should I be insulted?"

She sat up and shook her head as she turned to him. Troy sat up and faced her. "No way. I'm laughing because you made me laugh. You're talking like some little kid that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. You've got guilt written all over your face. But, there's no need to feel guilty. You know, if you don't believe your own brother or father, I don't know if you'll believe me. But, there is no way you're at fault for whatever went wrong in your parents' marriage. You know, sometimes things happen and there's nothing you can do about it. You should know that just like I know it. I've seen a lot of cases similar to this. And the kids blame themselves when, really, it's just their parents."

Troy looked her in the eyes. "You really believe that?"

She nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Honestly. The thing is, I've seen a fair few cases like this and the kids usually blame themselves, no matter the age. What I've found is that it's kind of a natural reaction to try and stop their parents from divorcing. If they say and feel that it's their fault, they hope that their parents won't divorce because they want their kids to be happy. It doesn't always work." She paused, letting her words sink in. "Do you want my opinion?"

"As a lawyer or a friend?" he asked quietly.

"A friend. Believe me, you'd know if I was speaking as a lawyer."

He nodded. "Okay."

She took his hand and linked their fingers together. "I don't want you to try to stop this. It's going to happen whether you like it or not. From what Jack said, he wouldn't do anything to hurt your mom. Your mom wants this and while it's not a pleasant thing, you're better than that. I promise you, as a lawyer now, it's not your fault."

Troy shrugged. "Maybe."

She took her hand away. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

"I never said that." Troy said, looking horrified.

"But," Gabriella started.

He shook his head. "That may be…" He took a deep breath. "Gabi, that may be the one speech that's close to convincing me that it's not my fault. This is the second time we've met. And that's the hardest anyone has tried to convince me that I'm not to blame."

"You're not," she whispered.

Troy cracked a smile. "Maybe…"

She raised her eyebrows and shuffled closer. "Yeah? Come on, just say it. I can see it in your eyes. Come on. For me. I won't tell anyone, I promise."

He held his pinkie up. "Pinkie promise?"

She nodded, hooking her pinkie around his. "Pinkie promise."

Troy wrapped an arm around her. "Maybe I believe you. I made you a promise. Why was six afraid of seven?"

Gabriella giggles, throwing her head back. "Because seven eight nine! I love math jokes."

"What about English ones?" he asked inquisitively.

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Shakespeare walks into a bar and the bartender says 'Oi, mate. You're bard.'" Troy grinned at her.

"Where did you get these? These are ancient. Everybody knows them," she exclaimed.

He shrugged. "Hey! I'm a dad."

"A bad comedian," she mumbled and grinned innocently.

"Gabi?" Troy asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

Her eyes watered again and she kissed his cheek in response. "Thank you, too. I never dreamt that I'd find someone who could come close to understanding what I've been through."

"So, who did you find?" he asked quietly.

"I found you." She closed her eyes and leaned into him, feeling protection not just from his embrace but also from their own private cocoon of peace. No divorces. No break ups. No deaths. It was just Troy and Gabriella.

"I'm glad you did," he whispered, more to himself than in reply to her statement.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well, we hope you like it :) It's nearly Friday :) I'm seeing McFly!!!  
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**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Gabriella watched Troy in fascination as he worked steadily on her car. The hood was propped open and he was bent over, his hands buried deep into the mass of metal. A toolbox was set on the passenger seat and Gabriella was sat behind the wheel, the door opened and the window rolled down so she could pass tools to Troy. She was twisted so that the toolbox was behind her and her legs dangling out of her car. She had no idea what he was doing but he seemed to know where everything was and as long as he didn't break her car completely, she was happy. They'd stayed in the tree house for a little while longer. They didn't talk since Troy had told the jokes but had simply held hands and looked out of the window opposite them to watch the sun slowly descend the sky, transforming the pale blue to a paint palette of pinks, reds and oranges.

After Gabriella had told Troy everything that had happened, she had felt a great weight lifted from her. Sharpay, Kelsi and Ryan all knew what she had been through. But, none of them could remotely relate to anything she'd been through. To talk to someone who'd lost everything he'd ever wanted and everything he'd seen in his future was…refreshing. It reminded her that other people went through similar things. And despite the unlikelihood, she'd met Troy Bolton. A man who was beginning to shine like the hero she'd always dreamed of.

She had chosen to ignore him when he'd told her how she was better than him because of the miscarriage and the break up all at once. No matter what he said, she was convinced that he was amazing because of how well he'd raised Kaden whilst grieving his wife. And Troy was genuinely nice and caring, too. And, now, he was coping with the divorce of his parents. His mother was blaming him for the divorce and claiming that Jack was having an affair. She'd decided very quickly after the new revelation of Meaghan's false blaming of Troy that he needed someone, possibly her, just like she knew she needed him.

It scared her, to be honest. The only thing she knew about Troy was that his wife had died whilst blessing him with their child, considering he'd been grieving his wife, he'd done an excellent job on raising Kaden, and now his parents were getting a divorce. Other than that, he was basically a stranger. But, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were already close friends.

"Hey! Stop zoning out on me!" Troy exclaimed indignantly.

Gabriella now realised that Troy was standing directly in front of her, wrench in hand, and an amused expression on his face. "What happened?"

"Am I really that boring?" he asked jokingly as he reached behind her and rummaged through the toolkit for another tool.

Gabriella inhaled deeply and smelt Troy's scent fill her up. There was a hint of cologne but he mainly smelt of country air. The kind of smell you only caught a hint of if you were in an open field. It wasn't animals or farm-like, exactly, but just…fresh air that came with living in the middle of nowhere. She realised that Troy was probably waiting for an answer. "I'm not that bad. Besides, you were talking about my car. I don't know that stuff. I'm a lawyer, not a mechanic. I can put gas in it and, to some extent, change a flat tyre. When I was in Silicon Valley, my dad sorted everything else out. I barely used my car in New York. It's faster to walk than to use a car."

Troy finally found the tool he need and leaned back. He rested his free hand on the top of the doorframe as he looked down at her, a smirk - she quickly decided it was way sexier than Austin's – crossed his face. "It's a good job you met me, then."

"I'd already decided that," she admitted sheepishly, staring at her lap. She lifted her eyes, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. "I just wasn't thinking about my car."

"It's a nice one. Good condition. Chick car, though," he added, eyeing the cherry-red convertible with a certain amount of apprehension. "I'd never get it."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a chick. I mean, a girl. Get your eyesight checked out." She grinned up at him, a sparkle appearing in her eyes.

"So, anyway, what I was saying was that I'm glad you talked to me."

She nodded and leaned against the seat. "I'm glad you listened."

"I always will," he whispered. "You know, when Ellie died, it shook everybody. She was one of those people that was liked by everybody. Like you. And everyone handled it differently. But, nobody felt like I did. She was everything to me. And losing her…I lost everything. No one could compare to what I was going through. I mean, everyone lost something because everyone was friends with her. But, I loved her. It sounds horrible in some ways but, I always felt sort of alone because she was my wife and I lost her. I knew that people went through it everyday but I never thought I'd meet someone who'd understand what I went through. Someone like you."

Gabriella stepped out of the car, surprising Troy, and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Will you promise me something?"

Troy returned the hug, the tool clutched in his right hand. "What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll stay, right? I don't think I can take much more pain," she mumbled, pulling back to look up at him.

He shrugged. "That depends."

"On what?"

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. I do."

"Then, I'm here. Besides, I don't think I can go that far with Kaden and everything that's happening with my dad…and Mike will want to practice basketball at some point…" He trailed off when he noticed Gabriella's smile. "What? They're my family."

"I know. I think it's sweet. I'm an only child and my parents are way too overprotective." She rolled her eyes.

"They should be. You're young and beautiful and with everything that happened, they should be worried!" he exclaimed.

"Are you worried?" she asked seriously as he walked around to the hood of the car and began working again.

Troy looked up at her, his hands still working on her car. "Yeah, I am. I worry about all of my friends. You're one of them."

"Don't let Sharpay hear this but, um, Troy, you may be one of the best friends I've ever had. None of them ever showed me a top secret hiding place," she joked.

Troy laughed, turning back to the engine in front of him. "Well, if you ever need somewhere quiet to think, go on up there and hook the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the ladder."

"You sure?"

He nodded. "Of course. Now you've seen it, you can use it."

"Well, I'm honoured." She giggled.

"Yeah, you should be. I've known Chad and Kels since I was three years old and neither of them have seen it."

Gabriella breathed out deeply. "Do you ever think about how your life would've been different if Ellie hadn't have died?"

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly, straightening up and walking around to the driver's seat. He climbed in and threw his tool into the box. He turned to the steering wheel and turned the key, smiling proudly when it began to purr gently.

Gabriella stood by the door, looking at him. "Well, sometimes, I wonder if Austin would've left me if I hadn't lost my baby. I didn't know if you thought about that."

He shrugged. "It never occurred to me. I guess I knew that there was no rewind button, no do-over and I didn't bother to think about 'what if'. You shouldn't either. It's not going to change anything."

"I know," she whispered. She turned around and wiped her eyes. "I can't believe I thought a guy would fall in love with a workaholic like me."

Troy turned the engine off and rushed out of the car to hug her from behind. "Hey, hey, hey. Come on. Shhh… Any guy would be lucky to fall in love with you."

She turned around, breaking from his arms. "Then, why has only one guy said he loved me? And he turned out to be the biggest jerk in the world. No explanation, nothing. And…" She ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sick and tired of feeling like I'm alone. All of my friends are married or getting married or-"

Troy stepped forward and placed a hand over her mouth. "You need to learn to calm down and to shut up," he said softly, his eyes locked onto hers. "I know how it feels. You think everybody else is in love and nobody seems to be single. But, think about it this way: you won't be alone, I promise. Because you have me. We'll be single together. Besides, am I not a friend? I mean, I'm not married or with someone." He joked.

"You know what I mean." She hit his arm playfully. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "It means a lot to me."

Troy smiled at her. "Well, it was nothing. Promise me something, though?"

She nodded vigorously. "After everything you did for me, anything."

"Come to me if you need anything. Whether it's someone to talk to, someone to cook you dinner, someone to have coffee with or someone to watch a movie with. I'm here." He raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

She nodded. "You're speed dial number one, I promise."

"Give me your cell phone." He held out his hand expectantly.

She pulled her phone out of her jeans and gave it to him. "What are you doing?"

His fingers pushed the buttons steadily and then handed the phone back to her. "You wanted to put me on speed dial without my number."

She giggled and put her phone back into her pocket. "Well, thank you."

"Daddy!" a voice yelled out happily.

They both turned and saw Kaden scrambling towards them, Lucille trailing behind. "Kaden!" Gabriella exclaimed excitedly.

Kaden paused in front of the two adults and looked between them, a concentrated look on his face. Gabriella thought he was wondering what she was doing with his father. However, Troy knew immediately what was going through Kaden's head and pushed Gabriella forward. "It's alright, K. Go ahead."

Kaden hugged Gabriella's legs. "Gabi!"

Gabriella laughed softly and picked him up, resting him on her hip. "Hey, Kaden. How are you?"

"I'm great. Auntie Lucy was playing with me in the barn." Kaden said proudly.

Gabriella jumped slightly when Troy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Wow. That's cool. Hey, Lucille."

Lucille smiled. "Hey. You guys okay?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah, we are. Gabi had a bit of trouble with her car and I fixed it for her."

She laughed and rolled her eyes playfully. "Sounds about right. Anyway, I'd better get home. I'll see you another time, Gabriella. Bye, Kaden." She kissed his forehead and then headed over to her Volvo. She climbed in and pulled away.

"So, champ, did you have fun in the barn?" Troy asked, moving his hand from Gabriella's shoulder to the small of her back, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

Kaden nodded. "We sure did. We were playing with my trucks but then started throwing hay at each other."

"I'm glad you had fun," Troy said softly.

"Are we still going to the fair?" he asked excitedly.

Troy sighed. "Yes, Kaden, we're going to the fair on Friday, I promise."

"Fair?" Gabriella turned to Troy, Kaden still balanced on her hip.

Troy nodded. "There's a fair downtown on Friday. Didn't you know about it?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't."

"Oh." Troy furrowed his brow.

"Daddy, are you going to ask Gabi to the fair like Uncle Mike said you would?" Kaden asked.

Troy's eyes went wide. "When did Uncle Mike say that?"

"This morning. He said that you were going to ask her to the fair on a date, or something. Can I go and find him?" Kaden asked.

Troy shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "Go to your grandpa's house and ask him where your uncle is."

Gabriella set him down on the ground and kissed his cheek. "Bye, Kaden."

"Bye, Gabi. Bye, Daddy." He ran away, skipping happily to Jack's house.

Troy turned to Gabriella. "Ignore him and ignore my brother. Both of them are-"

"If you wanted to ask me out, all you had to do was ask," she teased, nudging his shoulder.

He rolled his eyes. "Shut up. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. He's three. He doesn't know what a date is."

"I bet your brother does," she commented.

He sighed. "Yeah. But, in all seriousness, do you want to go with me and Kaden. Not as a date or anything," he added hurriedly. "Everyone's going. My dad and Lucy. Mike's taking a girl from East High. A junior, I think. And everyone else is going with whoever they're with. We'll probably end up looking after-" He was cut off by a small hand cupping his mouth.

Gabriella looked up into his cerulean eyes and smiled softly. "You need to learn to shut up. I'd love to go with you and be single together." She removed her hand from his mouth and walked around him to her car. She pulled the toolbox out and handed it to him. "Thank you so much."

He bent down, placing the toolbox on the ground. "Don't worry about it. When am I going to see you again?"

Gabriella curled some hair behind her ear and shrugged. "I don't know. I don't need to see your dad until a couple of days before the meeting with Meaghan and her attorney. So, I'm not sure when I'll be here next."

"Right." Troy looked down at his feet.

"Do you want to have lunch tomorrow?" she asked quickly, using the only courage she could find on short notice.

"What?" he asked as he lifted his head.

"Do you want to have lunch tomorrow? I'm assuming you're at the surgery tomorrow and all I'm doing is sorting through paperwork with Tay at my office. Do you want to?" she asked softly.

"Tomorrow? Well, I don't know…I have such a huge social calendar. I don't know if I can squeeze you in…" he teased. "Sure. I'd like that. My lunch is at one thirty. I'll pick you up from the office. That okay?"

"What about my car?" she asked indignantly.

"I'll drop you back off. I want to show you where I have my lunch. I think you'll like it." He dropped a kiss to her cheek and smiled down at her.

She nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. One thirty."

He winked at her as she climbed into her car and shut the door, the window rolled down. "I'm looking forward to it. And to the fair. I'll walk to your house and we can walk from there."

"You don't know where I live," she pointed out.

"You live in a small town now. I'll soon find out, I promise. I bet it's that small white house a little way down from East High, right?" he asked quietly.

"How'd you know?" she gasped in surprise.

He smirked. "Well, you're single, rich and I'm guessing you didn't want to live somewhere like this in the middle of nowhere. It was the only house for sale that fit the description."

"Oh. Well, yeah. That's my house." She nodded, turning the key in the ignition.

Troy smiled at her as the engine purred to life. "It's a nice house. I'll see you tomorrow. Don't wear anything too formal. It's just me. And don't straighten your hair. The curls suit you."

Gabriella touched her hair self-consciously and blushed softly. "Thank you. I'll bear that in mind."

Troy leaned through the window and kissed her cheek. "Bye, Gabi."

* * *

Troy lay down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. He'd left Kaden playing at Jack's house and figured he'd leave him there for a little while before they'd have dinner, Kaden would have a bath and then he'd go to bed. Now, though, he had some time to think.

He hadn't felt like this since Ellie. He'd wanted Gabriella to stay for dinner but, didn't have the guts to ask. He'd only asked one girl out and that was Ellie. Now, though, he had the chance to have a girlfriend again and he was beyond confused. He didn't know if Gabriella felt anything for him…that way. And he knew that he still loved Ellie like he did the day he met her. But, he really liked Gabriella. Although he didn't know much about her, he hadn't known much about Ellie when he'd asked her to the Spring Fling.

He groaned and ran his hand over his face. Dating women since Ellie had died had never occurred to him. He knew that women, even married women, stared at him wherever he went. But, he didn't want to date another woman. Besides, he didn't need another complication. With the divorce going on, it was practically a recipe for disaster. She was his father's lawyer! Wasn't there some kind of regulation to stop that from happening?

Maybe, maybe not. He didn't know. And it was safer to not find out. It was better to just stay friends. That was safe territory. No break ups, no drama, no worrying that Kaden would be heartbroken that Gabriella wasn't going to be there anymore. No matter whether he wanted to be with Gabriella or not, Kaden was the priority. He guessed that Kaden wouldn't mind if he started a relationship with Gabriella. However, he didn't want Kaden to have to suffer a bad break up.

"What are you doing?" a familiar voice asked.

He groaned and sat up to see Ellie sitting in the armchair. Well, it wasn't Ellie, exactly. That would be impossible. It was Troy's conscience, in the form of Ellie. While Ellie had been alive, if he was confused about anything, he would always ask her opinion on it and very soon after she passed away, whenever he was confused about anything, he'd see a vision of her and she'd tell him what she thought. "Why are you here?"

"Do I need to answer that?" she asked softly.

Troy got more comfortable in a sitting position on the couch and sighed. "No," he mumbled.

Ellie stood up and walked over to sit next to him. Troy couldn't believe it: vision or not, she was still so beautiful. "I love you, Troy."

Troy felt his eyes water and nodded. "I love you, too."

"Then, do whatever you feel is right with Gabriella." Ellie looked him in the eyes.

"But, what about you? I love you so much," Troy cried.

"I know you do, honey. And I told you, I love you, too. You should do whatever you think is best for Kaden and for you. Gabriella is a great woman and Kaden likes her, too. I'm proud of you," she whispered.

"I'm proud of you, too," Troy said softly. "Are you saying I should ask Gabriella out?"

Ellie sighed softly. "I think you should do whatever you think is right. Don't think of me, though. I know I'll always be with you and watch over you but, I'm not coming back. I'll always love you and be with you in your heart. But, maybe there's room for Gabriella, too."

Troy wiped his eyes to clear his vision. "Why did you have to go?"

"Troy, sweetie, look at me." She waited until he was looking into her eyes. "It was my time. There wasn't anything anybody could do about it. You did a wonderful job with Kaden and I'm so proud of you for not giving up. Maybe it was God's way of telling you someone other than me needed you."

He inhaled deeply and laughed breathlessly. "I can't ask her out."

"Why not?" she asked impatiently. "If it's to do with me, then I'm going to kill you when you get to heaven."

"But…I'd already be dead. Anyway, it's not that. Well, you're part of the reason. But, you're only the second girl I ever asked out. I mean," he paused to run a hand through his hair, "how can I ask her out after everything she's been through?"

"You'll find a way because you're Troy Bolton," she whispered before she faded away, leaving Troy alone.

Troy got to his feet and rushed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. He ran across the yard to Jack's house and pulled the door open, rushing through to the kitchen to find the one man he needed sat there with a cup of coffee, some papers spread out in front of him. "Dad? What's this?"

Jack looked up and smiled tiredly at his oldest son. "Gabriella left these behind earlier and I was looking through them." He pushed them away and sighed, setting his cup down. "Sit down, Troy. Tell me what's on your mind."

Troy sat down and shrugged. "A lot."

"I've got time," Jack whispered. "Mike's with Kaden so you're okay, too."

Troy nodded and looked at Jack. "How are you? Honestly."

"I'm fine, Troy. All I've ever wanted is for you and Mike to grow up and have your dreams in the palm of your hand. And you do. But, I've also wanted your mother to be happy. I know it's hard, son. But, I've still got you. And Mike. And Kaden."

"And Lucy," Troy added.

Jack laughed and nodded. "Yes, her, too. I don't know where we'd be without her."

"I don't know. I don't want to think about it," Troy admitted.

"So, what else is on your mind?" Jack asked.

Troy closed his eyes and breathed deeply before opening them again. "What do you think of Gabriella?"

"Well, she's a really good lawyer. She knows her stuff. And she's really nice and sweet and she's a really good person," Jack replied. "Why?"

"Why what?" Troy asked, acting oblivious.

"Why do you want to know my opinion?" Jack asked slowly.

Troy shrugged. "Just curious."

"Troy," Jack muttered, raising his eyebrows.

His son sighed. "I don't know what to do. I'm having lunch with her tomorrow."

"Lunch?" Jack teased.

"Shut up. She asked me!" Troy exclaimed.

"And you asked her to the fair according to a very excited little boy."

Troy groaned. "It's not a date. We're being single together, that's all."

"Why do I feel you're hiding a 'but' from me?" Jack asked quietly.

"Not a 'but'…It's a 'how'," Troy replied.

"What?" Jack asked in confusion.

"I don't know. Let me have lunch with her tomorrow. I'm taking her riding," he admitted.

"Does she know this?"

"No. If she doesn't like horses, then we're better off friends, anyway. My point is that you like her. That's all I wanted to know." Troy looked down at the wooden table as Jack stood up to wash his cup out. Now he had to decide what to do.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well, I liked writing this chapter. Especially the ending :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Taylor handed some papers to Gabriella who in turn filed them neatly into the metal cabinet behind her desk. "When can I go for lunch?"

Gabriella pushed her glasses back onto her nose and turned in her office chair to her desk where various papers were stacked neatly. "I don't mind. I'm going at one thirty."

"That's Troy's lunch, too," Taylor said slowly.

Gabriella lifted her eyes and then lowered them again. "Is it?" She sifted through the papers and then removed a couple, stapled together in the top left hand corner.

Taylor nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Chad's taking our cat in for a check up today."

Gabriella nodded as she filed the papers. "Cool, I guess. I wanted to get a cat but things happen that change your mind." She got to her feet and walked over to the window. She looked out over the quiet street and sighed. "I was going to move in with this guy, you know. I wanted a cat. It sounds like such a small thing to ask for. I mean, in comparison to a house and a mortgage and whatever." She turned to Taylor. "Was raising Naomi hard?"

Taylor thought about her answer as she sat down on the chair which clients used. "I didn't find it a chore. More of a blessing. I'm not saying it was a walk in the park. You know, sleepless nights, things getting broken, having to get a new carpet…But, I wouldn't change it for anything. And Chad was beside me everyday which was a relief. It was amazing."

Gabriella smiled softly. "Wow. I'd love to be a mom." She smiled slightly.

"You will be. But, word of advice: enjoy your freedom while you have it. No more late night parties," she said seriously.

"That's okay," Gabriella said softly, "I don't really like parties all that much. I don't drink and the extent of my parties is the shindig the other week."

Taylor laughed and nodded. "Well, get used to it if you want children."

Gabriella walked back over to her chair and sighed, eyeing up the papers between her and Taylor. "I'm a lawyer. That's all I've ever wanted. Having children would be amazing."

"Well, you could always ask Troy for some advice. He'd be happy to help," Taylor offered. "And I would, too, of course."

Gabriella nodded and breathed out deeply. "I'm sure he would. He's a good guy. After New York it's good to know that it's possible for guys to be genuinely nice and straight."

Taylor grinned. "Well, Troy's rare. There aren't many guys like him left in Albuquerque."

"What do you mean?" she asked, scrunching her brow up.

"He's single, young and a good guy. All of the guys our age in Albuquerque are already taken." Taylor tugged at the sleeve of her blouse.

"No, I didn't mean," Gabriella started hurriedly.

Taylor nodded. "I know. But, it's true."

A silence fell over the two women until Gabriella broke it. "I'm so tired. I couldn't sleep last night."

"Why?" Taylor sat up straighter.

Gabriella yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. "I don't know."

"Well, make sure you have a good lunch and eat something," Taylor advised. "And if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Thanks Tay but speed dial number one is already filled," she said softly.

"Kels?"

Gabriella shook her head. "Number two. Shar is number three, Ry is number four and Jack is number five. My parents are number six, too."

Taylor frowned. "Huh? Then, who is it?"

Gabriella flushed a light pink and took her glasses off. "It's Troy. He made me promise that he's the first person I go to if I have a problem."

"Really?" Taylor quirked an eyebrow.

She nodded. "Yeah. He's a great guy. He fixed my car yesterday."

"So, where is he taking you for lunch?" Taylor asked.

"Well, I honestly don't know. He said that- Hey! How'd you know he's taking me to lunch?" Gabriella asked indignantly.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Please. Ever since you said you were going for lunch at half one, it was so obvious."

The Latino woman sighed. "It's not a date, we're just having lunch together."

"Yeah?"

"Don't give me that look. Sharpay gave me that look before Austin asked me out!" she exclaimed.

"Austin?" Taylor asked in confusion.

"Complications," she answered simply. "But, the point is its just lunch. He helped me a lot yesterday and I asked if he'd have lunch with me."

"Very nice," she teased.

Gabriella reached for a pencil and threw it at her. "Stop it!"

Taylor laughed. "He'll look after you, you know. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

Gabriella sighed, folding her arms. "I sure hope not."

* * *

Troy continued to add notes to the computer about the rabbit he was currently examining. He was getting so annoyed with himself. He was nervous about this stupid lunch with Gabriella. He wondered if she was feeling like he was. Feeling like he was on a rollercoaster. The other day, he was feeling depressed because it had been ten years exactly since he'd first asked Ellie out. A couple of days later, he'd been worried sick about his father because of the divorce. Yesterday, he'd ended up being happy in the presence of Gabriella and teasing her. And today…he was nervous beyond belief.

He turned back to the examination table and reached for his stethoscope. He plugged it into his ears and placed the end on the rabbit's chest. He heard the steady heartbeat and remembered being in the tree house with Gabriella. Her steady breaths, the aroma of her violet shampoo, and his hand wrapped safely around hers as they watched the slow sunset. Fireflies had started flying around them but they'd both been at peace with each other. They'd simply enjoyed the other's presence.

Troy took the stethoscope out of his ears and then hooked it around his neck. "Well, everything seems fine. The temperature's normal, good weight and good fur. The only thing that might be the cause for concern in a couple of months is the length of the claws. They'll probably have to be trimmed soon."

The owner, a young woman who was attending the University of Albuquerque, nodded obediently. "Okay. What about the amount he's eating. He doesn't eat all of his food."

Troy held back a groan of annoyance. He knew the real reason she was here and it wasn't concern for her rabbit. She was what? Seven years younger than him. Either a freshman or sophomore in college. She was at the surgery for Troy not for her precious rabbit. If she knew that he was thinking about Gabriella instead of her or her precious rabbit, she'd probably throw a tantrum. "Well, his weight is good. Um, when do you feed him?"

"I feed him pellets in the morning and vegetables in the evening. There's always hay for him, too," she explained, twirling a lock of bleached blonde hair around her finger.

"That's probably it. There's too much to eat. Two meals. Take the hay out. I mean, give him variety. But, you probably don't notice him eating because he's eating. Just stick to the pellets and the vegetables. By all means, change it around. Give him hay one day, vegetables the next. But, not all three in the same day," Troy replied. "That's all I can suggest."

The owner nodded and picked the rabbit up, setting him back into the carrier. "So, I'll come back if I have another problem."

Troy nodded as he turned back to the computer. "Okay. See you later." He heard the door to the consultation room shut with a certain amount of anger and he released a chuckle to himself. "Like she even cared about that rabbit. She probably doesn't even know what he eats." He looked at his next appointment and grinned as he opened the window for the history of Chad and Taylor's cat, Oscar. He left the consultation room and wandered into the waiting room where he saw Chad and Naomi knelt on the floor despite the plastic chairs lining the walls. They were knelt in front of the metal carrier where a black and white cat was rubbing itself against Naomi's fingers.

Chad looked up and grinned at his best friend dressed in jeans and a plain button up shirt with a white lab coat over the top. "We're next?"

Naomi turned her attention away from Oscar and scrambled over to Troy. "Uncle Troy!"

"Hey, Naomi. How's my favourite goddaughter?" he asked as he gripped her hand and led Chad, who was carrying Oscar's cage, through to his consultation room. As soon as the door was closed, Troy lifted Naomi up and slung her over his shoulder, causing her to giggle wildly.

"Uncle Troy!"

"Troy, put my daughter down," Chad joked.

Troy bent down, setting Naomi on the floor. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Am I going to see Kaden today?"

Troy pulled the chair out from under his desk and set it by the examination table, next to where he was standing, and allowed Naomi to climb onto it so she could see Oscar. "I honestly don't know. Maybe I'll drop him round for dinner. Is that okay, Chad?"

Chad reached across the table to ruffle Naomi's dark hair. "I'm sure it's fine, honey."

"So," Troy said as he looked at Oscar's cage, "how is he doing?"

Chad opened the cage and picked Oscar up, setting him on the table and Naomi started fussing him immediately. "Check up. Nothing major."

Troy ran his fingers through Oscar's fur. "So, you haven't noticed any sudden changes?"

Chad shook his head. "Not that I noticed. Tay did mention a couple of weeks ago how he was limping on his front right leg. I think it only happened once but, Tay did mention it."

Troy pulled Oscar towards him and gripped his front right leg, bending it forwards and backwards. "Has he had any trouble jumping? I mean, he's seven years old. He's not a kitten anymore."

"I know. But, no. I've seen him jump onto the fence in the yard and onto the beds and the back of the couch without any trouble," Chad replied.

"He jumped onto the top of my play house the other day," Naomi put in.

Troy smiled at her as he released Oscar to just run his hands through his fur. "Wow. Well, I suspect he might develop some arthritis in a couple of years but if he only limped once and he can still jump, don't worry about it."

Chad nodded. "Okay. Thanks, man."

Troy continued to check out Oscar's ears, eyes, temperature, weight et cetera. Oscar was now lying on his shoulders as he added details to Oscar's patient page. He turned back to the table and eventually managed to get Oscar back down. "Well, everything seems to be shipshape."

Chad grinned. "Thank you. That's great. Tay'll be happy. We got him when we first moved in together."

"I know you did." Troy rolled his eyes.

"You want to have lunch with us? We can meet you in the park if you want," Chad offered.

Troy shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Why? Don't tell me you're going out to the field again? Why don't you eat with humans instead of horses?" Chad asked.

Troy smiled slightly, scratching Oscar behind his ear. "Horses are amazing creatures and Misty's mine. She's awesome. We love to eat lunch together."

"I swear you were a horse in a past life," the African-American grumbled.

Troy laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe."

Chad stared at his best friend and suddenly grinned. "It's not just Misty, is it?"

"What are you talking about?" Troy frowned.

"That look in your eyes. Who are you having lunch with? Do I know her?" he asked hurriedly.

Troy sighed. "Okay, I'm having lunch with someone else. It's Gabriella."

"Your dad's lawyer? A lawyer? When did you like a lawyer?" Chad exclaimed.

"I don't like her like that. It's just lunch." Troy folded his arms, leaning back against his desk whilst Naomi continued to fuss Oscar.

"Yeah, but, you work on a ranch when you're not here. A lawyer?" Chad gasped.

"She doesn't act like a lawyer around me," he mumbled.

"Yeah, but you don't know what it's like to live with one," Chad exclaimed.

"I'll tell Tay you said that," Troy mumbled. "I'm serious. She's a normal woman. And Dad says she's a good lawyer. Besides, it's just lunch."

"Ah, just lunch. I've got it. So, Naomi, do you think we should get home?" Chad asked.

Naomi nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Troy found Gabriella's law practice relatively easy and pulled up in his pick-up next Gabriella's car. He knew instantly that Taylor had already gone to lunch because her car was nowhere to be seen. That meant that Gabriella was alone inside. As he cut the engine and climbed out, he hoped that she had some sort of security system. He locked his truck and headed over to the front door. As he walked through the door and down corridors filled with prints of different pieces of art, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw cameras looking down on him.

"Gabi?" he called out as he climbed a set of stairs two at a time. He heard music playing faintly in the background and smiled to himself. He saw a door open at the end of the corridor which had Gabriella Montez painted on the window. He peeked around the doorframe and smiled lazily as he saw her standing at her desk, her back to him, singing softly. She was dressed in a pair of pale blue jeans which ended just below her knees and a white tank top. Her voice was beautiful. Like nothing he'd heard before.

He crept into the room and wrapped his arms around her from behind and picked her up, twirling her around. "Montez!"

"Troy!" she shrieked, a few papers falling to the ground as she clutched onto his arms for security. "Put me down."

Troy laughed as he set her feet onto the floor and he bent down for the papers. "Sorry, Gabi." He straightened back up as she turned around to face him. "You wear glasses," he commented.

She took the papers back and nodded. "Too much reading during school. The doctors told me to take it easy and not put a strain on my eyes because I have astigmatism. But, I ignored them and read too much, resulting in these." She gestured to the glasses before she turned to her desk and put the papers down.

"They're not too bad. In fact, they're very pretty," he said sincerely.

She turned to him. "I'm trying to be pretty. I only wear them when I work. Which I was doing before you walked through the door." She took her glasses off and set them onto her desk. "Besides, I don't wear them all of the time, so I don't care if they make me look ugly or not."

Troy held his hands up. "Sorry. I was offering my opinion."

She smiled softly. "I know. And thank you. I've just got to put some forms away, make yourself at home."

Troy nodded and walked around to sit in Gabriella's desk chair. "Wow. This chair is really comfy."

Gabriella gathered a pile of forms and walked over to the cabinet, pulling open a drawer. Before she filed them, she hit Troy over the head with them. "I know. It's mine." She slipped them into the drawer and then shut it. "So, how was your morning?" She stood beside him, looking down into his eyes.

"Okay, I guess. I had this girl come that was practically begging for a date. She was only eighteen or nineteen. It's so annoying." He groaned, throwing his head back.

"It's a good thing that I'm twenty four and not totally obsessed with you, then," she said softly as she walked over to the door and reached into her bag for her cell phone. She checked it for messages and then stuffed it into her pocket.

Troy furrowed his brow. "Yeah. I guess so. Are you ready?"

Gabriella nodded. "I am."

Troy followed her back downstairs and allowed her to lock the front door before they both climbed into Troy's truck. He drove through the quiet streets of Albuquerque back towards the ranch. "Quick question: have you ridden a horse before?"

Gabriella frowned as she turned to him. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"You'd be surprised," he mumbled as he drove down the long, dusty lane leading to the ranch.

"Well, yeah, I have. I had a couple of horse riding lessons when I was about thirteen but I didn't continue with it because I wanted to concentrate on my studies," she admitted.

"There's a surprise," he teased. He pulled the car to a stop and they both climbed out.

She followed him towards the smaller of the two houses which she assumed was his. "We're having lunch here?"

"Not exactly," he replied as he opened the front door and allowed her to step in first. He followed and shut the door. "We're not getting comfortable here. I just need to grab something before we leave."

"Leave?" she asked as she followed him to the kitchen.

"Yes, leave. It means we go away from here," he replied sarcastically. He opened the fridge and pulled out a wicker picnic basket, covered with a red and white chequered blanket.

"Is that a picnic?" she asked.

He nodded as he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the back door. "Yes, it is. Now, come on."

She followed him over to a field that held a couple of horses. On three sides of the field was a wooden fence and on the fourth side was a small wooden building where she could see piles of hay. She assumed that was where the horses slept and ate. "Troy, do you plan on telling me where we're going?"

He leaned over the fence and placed the basket down before he turned to here. "Do you always like to know what's happening?"

She nodded. "Pretty much."

"Why don't you take a chance and just enjoy it?" he asked softly. He stepped towards her and took her hand in his. "You don't always have to be certain about the future. You can't always plan it."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. But, next time, I'm taking us to lunch." She let go of his hand and walked over to the fence to climb over it. She landed on the other side next to the basket and turned to him. "We are coming in here, right? I mean, you mentioned horses…"

Troy chuckled and followed her lead, swinging one long leg over and then the other one. "You're right. Can you pick the basket up, please? The horses will eat it if we just leave it. Come on." He wandered over to the wooden building, patting a black horse's nose on the way.

Gabriella hurried after him and noticed that the horse followed him on its own accord, no need for a command or anything. She followed the horse into the building and found Troy getting two cowboy hats from two hooks on the wall. "What are they?"

He placed one onto her head and winked. "A hat. What else could it be?" He put the other one onto his own head and grinned. "Time to saddle up." He bent down and picked up to saddles.

"Saddle what?" she exclaimed.

"We're going riding. I'm going to show you what you've been missing while living in the city." He turned around and walked over to the black horse. "Hey, Misty. How are you, girl?" Misty neighed and trotted closer to him. He placed one saddle on the floor and walked around the horse with the other one. He quickly strapped it to the body and walked back around to pat Misty's nose. "We're going riding today. That okay with you?"

Gabriella frowned, suddenly unsure of something. "Were you talking to me or her?"

"_Her_ is called Misty. And I was talking to you," he said softly. "She always loves to go riding with me. What about you?"

"I haven't ridden a horse in years, though!" she exclaimed.

He shrugged, picking the second saddle up. He began leading Misty and Gabriella back into the field and he walked over to a brown horse. He began strapping the saddle onto the horse and smiled across at Gabriella. "You'll be fine, I promise. This is Spencer. He's Mike's horse but he won't mind you borrowing him."

Gabriella sighed. "Fine. I trust you."

"Thank you." He took the basket from her and began tying it to the back of Misty. "Listen, I wouldn't be taking you riding if I thought you'd get hurt. Both Misty and Spencer are experienced with riders and they love people."

Gabriella stepped closer and stroked Spencer's nose. "Wow. He's so sweet."

"He was a bugger to break in though. You'd never think that now." Troy patted Spencer's back and smiled at Gabriella. "So, are you ready to live like a cowgirl?"

"Is this part of the deal with you? You know, no horses, no Troy?" Gabriella asked as she walked over to Troy.

He nodded as he helped her onto the horse. "Pretty much. Hey, I grew up practically as a cowboy. It's part of the territory." He quickly opened a gate and then led Spencer and Misty out of the field before he shut the gate behind them. He expertly climbed onto Misty's back and clicked his tongue. Both horses began to trot forward and Gabriella looked over at him, clearly impressed.

"Wow. You know, this is really cool," she commented.

He nodded. "I know." He continued to command the two horses through many fields and down lanes and after about ten minutes, the two horses stopped and Troy climbed down. He helped Gabriella down and smiled down at her. "You okay?"

She nodded, adjusting her hat. "Yeah. That was amazing. Wow."

Troy chuckled as he began to untie the picnic basket. "Are you ready for lunch? It's not much. Mostly salad, sandwiches and there's some cold pizza, too."

She laughed. "That sounds really good. But, what about Spencer and Misty?"

He shrugged and set the blanket on the grass. "They can do their own thing for a while. They won't go too far. They'll be fine. Come and sit down."

They both sat down and Gabriella helped Troy to unpack the basket. "This food looks great."

"Well, I don't mean to brag but I make one mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich." He handed a sandwich on a plastic plate to her. "Try it."

She took a bite and grinned. "Wow. This is amazing."

"So," he started as began eating a slice of cold pizza, "tell me about yourself."

"Well, there's not much to me. What do you want to know?" she asked softly, smiling over at him.

He shrugged. "You want to play twenty questions?"

"Like I said: there's not much to me. How about ten?"

He took another bite of pizza and nodded in agreement. "I'll take what I can get. What's your full name?"

"Gabriella Anna Maria Elizabeth Costa-Brava Montez," she replied with a slight Spanish accent.

Troy simply stared at her. "I pity the guy who marries you. Okay, um, what's your favourite movie?"

"_A Walk to Remember_," she answered instantly.

"Band?" he picked a grape off of a bunch and popped it into his mouth.

"Rascal Flatts." She reached for a slice of pizza and took a tiny bite.

"Favourite song?"

"_Every Day_ by Rascal Flatts. It only recently became my favourite. But, Kels and Shar, and now you, have all helped me so much and the song means a lot to me," she whispered, setting her plate down.

Troy set his plate onto the blanket and moved closer to her. "I sing that song to Kaden every night. He's one of the few reasons I'm still here. I honestly thought I couldn't live without Ellie and, only Kels and Tay know this but, I once considered suicide. But, I knew how fragile and vulnerable Kaden was and I didn't." He looked into her eyes and released a deep breath. "And I'm glad I didn't."

She bit her lip and blushed. "I'm glad you didn't, too."

A silence fell over them as Troy gripped her hand. It wasn't awkward. Far from it. They were simply enjoying each other's company. The only sounds were birds chirping and Spencer and Misty eating grass nearby. Troy suddenly leaned forward and grabbed a grape. He turned to Gabriella and threw it at her. He grinned proudly.

Gabriella laughed and let go of his hand. "What was that for?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to throw a grape."

"Really?" she asked, reaching for the bunch of grapes. "You wanted to throw a grape?"

Troy reached for another bunch and nodded confidently. "I did."

"Oh, game on, Bolton!" she exclaimed as they both clambered to their feet. Gabriella chased Troy around the field, throwing grapes at him.

He turned around briefly to throw a grape at her but didn't realise how close to him Gabriella was and she ran into him. The collision caught him off guard and made him fall backwards, taking Gabriella with him. They burst out laughing and Gabriella lifted her head from his torso to look at him. "You okay?" he asked.

She lifted a hand and placed it over her heart. "I'll tell you in a minute. I haven't run like that since gym in high school. It wasn't my strongest subject."

Troy laughed softly as he looked at her. "That was fun. So, how do you like it out here?"

Gabriella nodded in approval. "It's really great. I love it. There aren't places like this in New York or in Silicon Valley."

A thought occurred to Troy. "Do you think you'll ever go back?"

"Back where?" Gabriella asked as they both sat up.

"New York or silicon Valley. I mean, are you planning to stay in Albuquerque?" he asked softly.

Gabriella looked down at her lap. "I didn't plan to, if I'm honest. I mean, I'm a city girl. The only reason I came down here is because of Shar, Ry and Kels. I needed to be with my friends and then I was going to go to Silicon Valley once everything had calmed down." She lifted her head to look at him. "Kels warned me how Albuquerque is really small and no one has any secrets and everyone knows everything about everyone else. That's the last thing I wanted for obvious reasons."

"But?" Troy whispered.

She reached for his hand and smiled softly across at him. "I think I've found a reason to stay."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I hope you like this chapter, I did and so did ZZ9PluralZAlpha :) He didn't help because his brain was fried in the heat.**

**Don't own hsm x

* * *

**

Gabriella flopped down in her office chair as Taylor flopped down in the other one. The paperwork was sorted! Finally. Now Gabriella could concentrate on Jack's case. It wasn't as simple as other cases simply because of the ranch's involvement within the family. She'd need to find out about past family wills, any current wills which Meaghan or Jack might have, and she'd need to figure out where Troy and Michael stood as far as the wills were concerned. She knew one thing: Jack needed the ranch. It was something he'd built and accomplished and if she knew anything as his friend, it was that he needed to have something to work on after the divorce.

She took her glasses off and folded them neatly onto he desk. She reached for a pencil and slipped the end between her lips, a habit she'd picked up in high school. Whenever she was thinking things over, whether it was to do with work or general thinking, she'd automatically bite her pencil. She didn't like it but couldn't help it, either.

Her thoughts moved from Jack to Troy, something that was beginning to annoy her simply because of how frequent that was becoming. It had been a couple of days since their lunch in the field and they'd eaten lunch together everyday since. However, as Gabriella had said, she'd taken him out to lunch at a small café, wanting neither of them to have to make the lunch. He was officially her best friend. They had the odd serious conversation, whether it was about Ellie or about Austin, but they were usually joking with each other. He had admitted that he enjoyed making her laugh. There was something in their relationship that was different. It was peaceful. She'd told Troy the previous day when he dropped her back to work that when they were together, nothing else seemed to matter. Not a miscarriage or a break up…she was just Gabriella.

Today, they were going back to the field. But, today, she'd decided to make the picnic. She couldn't help it. She wanted to spend so much time with Troy. Now, though, it wasn't as scary because they knew each other a lot more now. But, still, it scared her to think that they'd only known each other a couple of weeks and she needed him so much. However, he had openly admitted that he enjoyed spending time with her and needed her so that he didn't feel like the couples were 'overpowering him'.

"Now, what's that blush for, missy?" Taylor asked, screwing up a piece of paper and throwing it at Gabriella.

Gabriella jumped from her thoughts and threw it back. "What'd you say?"

"You look like a tomato. Why are you blushing?" Taylor laughed.

Gabriella put her pencil down and frowned. "I don't know…I honestly don't."

"Well, what were you thinking about so seriously?" her co-worker asked.

She was not answering that. Not after Taylor's consistent pestering after she'd figured out that Gabriella was having lunch everyday with Troy. "I was thinking about Jack's case, is all." She wasn't lying, it just wasn't the most recent thing she'd been thinking about.

"Really? And you look like a tomato because you're thinking about Jack's case?" Taylor asked slowly.

Gabriella looked across at her. "Shut up."

Taylor smirked. "Thinking about a certain Mr Bolton?"

"No!" she exclaimed. "I wouldn't ever go for Michael. He's still in high school. That's super inappropriate."

"You know which Bolton man I was talking about," Taylor said quietly.

Gabriella sighed. "Well, I didn't really plan to," she paused when her cell phone began to ring, dancing around her desk because of the vibrations. "Hold on, Tay." She reached for her phone and slid it up. "This is Gabi," she said politely.

"I know who you are," a voice said lowly.

Gabriella sat up straighter. "What are you doing?" she cried.

"I think I'm speaking to you on the phone," the voice said dryly.

"I got that," she snapped. "I'm asking why. Why are you calling me?"

"I want to talk to you," he said sternly.

"Well, you could've talked to me back in New York. It was your choice to blow the whole thing off!" she exclaimed as she got to her feet and walked over to the window, her brow scrunched together in a frown.

"I was in shock, just listen to me," he pleaded.

"You think I wasn't in shock? Fuck, Austin. You know how much I was excited about everything. The moment something goes wrong, you break up with me. Why should I listen to you?" she demanded.

"Because I love you," he whispered.

That was all it took. She didn't want him to say that. Saying that simply confused her. She didn't want to break down in front of Taylor, but knew it was going to happen whether she liked it or not. Before her mind closed down completely, she managed to hang up. However, she couldn't get her phone back into her pocket and instead dropped it to the floor. She released a sob and closed her eyes as she slid down the wall and curled into herself, hugging her knees to her chest.

Taylor leapt to her feet and rushed over to her friend. "Gabi?" she whispered.

Gabriella cried into her knees, not making any movements other than the heaving caused by her muffled sobs. She tried to break out of her frozen state, knowing how scared Taylor would be. Even Kelsi and Sharpay, who had seen her like this numerous times, still got scared and worried for their friend. Gabriella knew from experience that it was even worse for people who were seeing it for the first time. Take the restaurant for instance; she knew that Jason and Zeke had been confused until she had explained everything.

She felt Taylor shake her shoulder but couldn't find the will to tell her not to worry and to leave her for a while. Her heart craved one person's touch and she knew that Taylor would figure it out in a minute. She had a feeling, no matter how bizarre it seemed, that she'd break out of it if someone she had become very close to walked through the door.

"Gabi, come on. What happened?" Taylor pleaded.

Gabriella remained curled up, only moving slightly with each sob.

A thought occurred to Taylor and reached for Gabriella's cell phone. She pressed the number one and held it to her ear. "Come on!"

* * *

Troy sat down in his desk chair, knowing his next appointment wasn't for ten more minutes. He ran his hands through his hair and rested his elbows on his desk. He was so confused. Ever since he'd first taken Gabriella to lunch, Ellie had been appearing more and more. It made no sense. Why did he want to spend so much time with her? It was like she was some form of drug. He couldn't get enough of her. Every time he saw her smile or heard her giggle, he began liking her more and more.

Kaden had noticed a difference in him. And, of course, so had Michael, Jack and Lucille. The three other adults on the farm were teasing him about how happy he'd been since he met Gabriella. Kaden, however, still wasn't entirely sure why his daddy was suddenly so happy all of the time but, he wasn't complaining. Troy was singing more around the house and had even found his old guitar from high school and had begun playing again. He wasn't all that good because he hadn't played in years but Kaden was fascinated how his daddy could play such a big, complicated instrument so well.

Troy laughed to himself as he leaned back in his chair. Its funny how one person can change your life so drastically. Kelsi had suggested not-so-subtly that Gabriella could do with a boyfriend to help her move on from Austin. He'd swatted her hat off and glared playfully at her. Just because he was suddenly spending time with a beautiful, young woman, doesn't mean he was falling in love with her.

Right?

It wasn't a case that he didn't believe in love at first sight because he did. It had been love at first sight with him and Ellie. But, it's hard to fall in love with someone at first sight when you're still in love with your dead wife.

He shook his head to himself and got to his feet. That sentence sounded so harsh. He began busying himself with preparing some vaccinations for the dog that was coming in a few minutes. He needed to stay focussed while he was working. The last thing he needed was for his mind to wander to Gabriella whilst examining an animal. It was becoming harder and harder, though. All he could think about was the upcoming lunches with Gabriella.

His cell phone suddenly range and he reached into his lab coat pocket for it. All of his patients knew that he kept his cell phone on whilst at work simply because of Kaden. All of his friends knew when he worked and would only contact him if there was an emergency. He set the syringes onto the examination table and checked the caller ID. Gabriella. He flipped his phone up, holding it to his ear. "Talk to me."

"Troy," Taylor exclaimed frantically.

"Tay? Why do you have Gabi's phone?" he asked.

"I don't know what's wrong," she cried.

"Why? Where's Gabi?" Troy demanded.

"Right here in front of me. But, she isn't. She's not talking or moving," Taylor whispered.

"What happened before she went like that?"

"She had a phone call. She mentioned New York and blowing things off. She mentioned someone called Austin, too," she muttered.

"Austin?" he exclaimed as he hurriedly shrugged his lab coat off, revealing his blue and white striped shirt and jeans. He dropped it carelessly to the floor and darted out of the consultation room.

"Yeah, I don't know the full details, but something upset her. She's here in front of me, I can see her, but it's like she's suddenly…" she trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Frozen," he whispered his guess as he strode through the surgery towards the back kitchen where the staff had their breaks.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Taylor asked.

"Lucky guess," he growled. "Hold on, Tay." He covered the mouth piece as he stepped into the kitchen. "Sam, I need you to cover me. Mrs Johnson and her Westie are due in about two minutes. It's just some vaccinations but check the gums."

Sam nodded. "Sure, Troy." He left the kitchen.

Troy dug his keys from his pocket and rushed out of the back door, heading for the staff's parking lot. "Tay, I'm on my way. Why did you call me, anyway? Why not Shar?" He unlocked his truck and climbed in, clicking his seatbelt in place.

"She said how you wanted to be the first one she calls," she explained.

"I'm coming," he muttered as he hung up and threw his phone onto the passenger seat. The engine roared to life and he drove speedily through Albuquerque. He lurched to a halt in the parking lot next to Taylor's car and grabbed his phone before he got out. He locked the car and bolted towards the building in front of him. He ran through the door and leapt up the stairs, three at a time. Adrenaline surged through his body as he saw the door to Gabriella's office. He slowed down as he approached and he pushed the door open. He saw Gabriella curled up beneath the window, her face buried into her knees. Taylor was crouched in front of her.

He strode over to them both and immediately sat down next to Gabriella, wrapping his arms around her. "Gabi, I'm here."

She let go of her knees and turned to him, snaking her arms around him. "Troy," she whimpered into his neck. "I can't breath."

"I know," he whispered, kissing her hair. "Tay, its fine. I've got it from here."

"You sure?" she asked sceptically.

He nodded. "Go home. Gabi won't be working today."

She nodded as she rose to her feet. "Okay. Call me when she's better."

Troy smiled thankfully up at her. "I will. Bye, Tay." He watched Taylor leave before pulling Gabriella onto his lap. He cradled her protectively in his arms and rocked her back and fore. "Gabi," he murmured.

"Hmmmm…" she mumbled into his neck.

"Can you breathe now?" he asked quietly.

She lifted her head and managed to crack a small smile. "Yeah, I can."

"Good. You okay?" He brushed some hair from her forehead and ran his thumb over her cheeks to wipe her tears away.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm so confused. Just when I thought he wouldn't bother me anymore, he calls me."

"What did he say?" he asked quietly, looking into her eyes.

"He said he wanted to talk to me and I asked why I should listen after everything her put me through," she whispered, looking at her lap.

"And…"

Gabriella lifted her head as more tears fell and she looked into his eyes. "He said he loves me."

"That's when you froze, isn't it?" he whispered softly, an enigmatic look on his face.

She nodded slightly. "I didn't know what to do."

He stroked her cheek gently and nodded. "It's okay. He won't hurt you. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"It's not so much that." She sniffed and leaned into him, her face nestled into the crook of his neck. "I know I don't have to do anything I don't want to. I know you well enough to know you wouldn't even let me consider that. I didn't know what to say, that was the problem."

"Why would it be a problem?" he asked. "Just say what you feel."

"That's not as easy as I want it to be. I don't know what I feel about him," she whimpered.

Worry suddenly crossed his face and a lump suddenly formed in his throat. She might still love him. She might take him back and despite what she'd told him when they were in the field; she could leave Albuquerque and go back to New York. He didn't want that. He couldn't have that. She was his father's lawyer. And, forgetting that she was Kelsi's best friend, when he was with Gabriella, he didn't feel alone anymore. Not that he didn't appreciate his company with his family or friends but, it was nice to hang out with someone his own age who could relate to how he felt.

He coughed self consciously and ran his hand gently over her back. "Would you take him back?" he asked in a voice which was several octaves higher than normal.

Gabriella lifted her head and looked at him. "That depends on a couple of things but this is one of them: would I lose you?"

"I'm not important," he mumbled.

"That isn't what I asked. I asked if I would lose you. Would I?" she asked seriously.

"I don't know. Gabi, I love spending time with you and everything but I think I'd probably kill him. I'm sorry. I'm not making you choose," he added hurriedly.

She nodded. "I know that. But, he's not worth that. I mean, even if he was begging on his knees and gave me the most heartfelt apology ever, I'd really have to think about it because I'd have to be certain that I wouldn't get hurt. But, you gave me my answer. I don't want to lose you. You've helped me so much."

Troy breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "I know. You've helped me, too."

"How?" she asked.

"You cheered me up. You know, I've been so worried about this stupid divorce. Not just about whether I caused it, but about my dad and Mike and especially Kaden. He's so young and I'm going to have to tell him that my parents don't love each other anymore. But, I don't want to tell him that because I don't want him to think that it could happen to him. I don't want him to fear love.

"But, you changed that. You make me happy. You just give me strength and you give me hope that life will be better after all of this craziness is over. You helped me just like I helped you," he said softly and kissed her cheek.

She smiled and leaned back into him, resting her head on his shoulder. She placed her hand on his chest and began drawing invisible patterns there. "I didn't know I've helped you."

"You've helped me in so many ways," he whispered, running one hand over her back and the other over her arm, encasing her securely in his arms. "I don't know how to thank you."

She sighed gently against him. "You don't have to."

He leaned against the wall and continued his soothing movements against her back and arm. Her fingers kept drawing absently on his chest and, although he wouldn't admit it in the moment, he enjoyed it. The action was simple, almost innocent, but it meant so much to him. He knew that so many girls in Albuquerque, no matter their age, would want to do something much more sexual than simply tracing invisible on his chest which was still covered by his shirt. It was something that seemed typically Gabriella.

"This is nice," he murmured.

"My office or…_this_?" she whispered.

Troy chuckled at the embarrassment evident in her voice and guessed that she was blushing. "Both," he admitted quietly. "But, I was only talking about one."

"I know. I wish we could stay this way forever," she muttered. "It's so calm when I'm with you."

* * *

Troy opened the front door and let Gabriella step inside first. He followed her and shut the door behind him. "Ignore the toys. I try to tidy up but what's the point?"

She giggled and nodded with understanding. "I love it. I'd love to have a house like this," she whispered. She leaned against the wall and looked wistfully into the lounge which was scattered with toys. "People see me as clean freak but, I wouldn't care. It never mattered to me once I was pregnant. It's strange in some ways. How one flip of events changes what you want from life."

Troy took her hand and pulled her down the hall. "Come on, Gabi. You'll be a mom one day." He released her hand when they reached the kitchen.

She sighed gently and watched him as he pulled the fridge open and took out some milk. "Would you like more children?" she asked.

He turned to her with raised eyebrows. "More children?"

Her eyes widened. "Not with me. I meant, you know…In the future…If there's another Mrs Bolton." She spoke quietly, struggling to get the final words out in the open.

He shrugged as he turned to a cupboard and pulled out two glasses. "Who knows? I'd love more children. Raising Kaden was really great, no matter if Ellie was alive or not, raising Kaden was a joy." He poured milk into the tumblers and then returned the milk to the fridge. He picked up the drinks and sat down at the kitchen table. He patted the chair next to him and waited until she was sat next to him to continue. "But, to be honest, I don't know if I should. I mean, the divorce is going on, I don't have a girlfriend, and it would have to be ridiculously slow. I'd have to make sure Kaden likes the woman before I ask her out, then, we'd have to get married. It's just not viable in the circumstances."

Gabriella looked over the rim of her glass at him as she took a sip. She cradled the glass in her two hands as she looked into his eyes. "Gosh, you sound like me."

"I sound like you? How?" he asked, smiling broadly at her. "I'm intrigued."

"That's what I want to do. Not the whole 'I hope Kaden likes my boyfriend' thing. The going slow part. I rushed into one relationship and…" She didn't bother to finish the sentence but, instead, started the next one. "I don't want to rush into another."

"I can understand that," he mumbled. "You know how you said you're staying Albuquerque?"

She nodded. "I am. You're here." She smiled brightly at him.

He chuckled and looked down at the wooden table, only slightly smaller than the one at Jack's. "And you're really special to me."

She blushed a light pink and looked down at her drink in embarrassment. "Thank you."

"If I meet someone else," he started, feeling his throat constrict with every word, "you'll tell me honestly what you think about her, right?" He never imagined in a million years how hard it would be to ask the woman sitting next to him that question.

She nodded. "Of course. Will you give me your honest opinion about any guy I might meet?"

Troy ran a hand over his face and finally nodded. "Sure."

"Why did you do that?" she asked quietly.

"Do what?" he frowned at her.

"Run a hand over your face. Your dad does that a lot at our meetings when he's stressed. Why are you stressed?" she asked timidly.

"Not stressed exactly," he looked over at her, "just worried." He scraped his chair back and stood up. "You want pasta salad?"

His sudden coldness and firmness made her flinch and hunch over the table, staring at the wood. "Yeah," she whispered. She sipped her milk quietly as Troy bustled about the kitchen.

He knew that he hadn't known her long but he couldn't help it and it scared him. The thought of finding another woman hadn't occurred to him at all and now he couldn't stop. But, it was only one woman he wanted to be with. He didn't want to want to be with her but, he did and couldn't help it. And the fact the she asked him to be honest to her if she ever found another boyfriend wasn't helping things. He'll be damned if she gets a boyfriend that isn't him.

Okay, that sounded way too overprotective to ever be seen as attractive but it's true. She was so weak and vulnerable and she needed protection. Not that he thought she would be stupid and pick a man that wouldn't treat her right but… Why was there a 'but' that seemed to complicate everything? He just wanted her to be happy and safe. He knew that she was safe with him, he'd never let anything hurt her. And he knew she was happy around him. She always laughed and smiled around him. Not that she was miserable around their friends but, around him, she seemed so free and untainted by the roubles she'd fought through.

He suddenly twisted his head, his hands poised on the rim of two plates, ready to pick them up. And she was beautiful. A beauty that was rare when mixed with intelligence, kindness, a sense of humour, passion and being a good friend. Not to mention that she was excellent with Kaden and Naomi. If she was any other girl, his best guess was that she was pretending to be good with children so that he'd go out with her. But, he knew, from the sparkle in her eyes when she was around Kaden or when they talked about him, that she genuinely cared and worried for Kaden.

She looked up from her drink and consciously lifted a hand to her face. "Why are you looking at me? Do I have something on my face?"

He shook his head slowly, a gentle smile pulling at his lips. "No. No, you don't. You're perfect." He turned back to the counter and reached for some cutlery.

Whilst growing up, he'd pondered the definition of perfection. He'd never found perfection until he met Ellie. Then, he found it again when he held Kaden in his arms for the very first time. Now, he has it all over again in Gabriella. He finally figured out that there were many types of perfection he could find.

As he took the plates and cutlery over to the table and then placed the bowl of pasta salad in the middle, he thought about Ellie. He picked up some tongs from the counter and then sat down next to Gabriella. He began scooping pasta salad onto Gabriella's plate and he smiled across at her as she began to slowly eat the meal. He loaded his plate with the food and picked up his fork. He tapped it against the table thoughtfully, resulting in a rhythmic muffled thump. He leaned back in his chair and smiled softly at how much pasta she could fit into her mouth, any hint of femininity disappearing.

Troy now knew the definition of perfection. Perfection means falling in love with someone.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Long time no update, right? I wrote this a couple of days ago but ZZ9PluralZAlpha has been busy and didn't have time to check it out. He has now and he liked it :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

_Shit_. Did Troy have to arrive at exactly the wrong moment? Apparently so. Her day must be the worst one in the history of the world. First of all, she overslept. That meant that she had only just settled behind her desk as the first interviewee arrived – she'd been holding interviews for a receptionist all day. Secondly, the air conditioner in her office broke so she and her interviewees were roasting to death. Thirdly, she hadn't seen Troy since Austin had called. In one way, it was a good thing considering she was in the process of convincing Taylor that she was just good friends with Troy. Nothing more, nothing less. However, it was still adding to her bad day because she hadn't been held by Troy recently.

Not that she was obsessing over him.

Gabriella hopped clumsily towards the front door, her hand clutching onto door frames and stair banisters on the way. Whilst getting ready, she had cut herself when she had accidentally knocked her leg against the edge of her dresser and whilst tipping her house upside down looking for a band aid, she'd fallen down the stairs and hurt her ankle.

She took a deep breath, one hand poised on the front door handle, and glanced at herself in the mirror hanging on the wall. She'd decided on a pair of denim capris pants and a white camisole and her hair was left in its natural curls. She hoped that it was okay, she didn't really know how to dress for the fair. She struggled to pull the door open and successfully managed to lose her balance and crash straight into Troy's chest.

Troy's eyes widened. This wasn't what he'd expected when he'd come to pick her up. He didn't know what to do but eventually gripped her waist and steadied her into a standing position. "You okay?"

She sighed, leaning on the wall for support. "I guess so." Her eyes moved down from Troy's to the little boy who was stood by his side. "Hey, Kaden."

"Hey, Gabi," he said softly, shooting her a wide grin.

"Do you want to go and watch some TV? I'm not quite ready," she explained.

Troy patted his son's back. "Go on through. Don't touch anything other than the TV remote," he said sternly.

"Yes, Daddy," Kaden said, disappearing down the hall.

"Come on in," Gabriella offered.

Troy stepped inside the house and shut the door behind him. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple blue button up shirt with some sneakers on. "Why are you stood on one leg? Is it some weird Californian thing to hop around your house?"

She glared playfully and shook her head. "No," she muttered as she pushed herself from the wall and began to try to hop towards the kitchen.

Troy rushed to her side and wrapped an arm securely around her waist to steady her. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head and continued to be helped to the kitchen where she collapsed against him. "I cut my leg. It hurts and I only wanted a band aid and I couldn't find any," she cried, "and I searched everywhere and fell down the stairs and hurt my ankle."

"Come on," Troy said as he lifted her easily onto the kitchen island.

"Troy, what are you doing?" she asked.

He looked up at her as he crouched down in front of her. "Would you like me to make it better?"

"Troy," she started, "you're a vet. I'm not some animal."

"I'll take that as a no," he said teasingly as he got to his feet. He stood in front of her and rested one hand on the counter each side of her. "Why don't you want my help?"

"It's been a crappy day," she whined. "All I wanted was to go to the fair with you but everything kept going wrong. I overslept and then the air con at my office is broken so it was sweltering in there and I don't think I can afford to get anyone out there just yet. Then, this," she exclaimed, gesturing to her leg.

"Do you want a hug?" he asked and brushed a curl from her face.

She sighed and nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I like your hugs. They make me feel warm and safe," she mumbled into his shoulder.

He rubbed her back soothingly, something that he had found that relaxes her through their fast growing friendship. "It's okay." He pulled out and smiled down at her. Even when she was sat on the island counter, he was still slightly taller than her. "Listen, you're with me tonight. You're going to enjoy yourself and I know a guy who might be able to fix your air con for a discounted rate."

"Really?" she asked excitedly. "Who?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Come on! You know I can fix practically anything."

"What about my leg?" she whispered.

"Your leg. Right." He turned around in the kitchen and spotted a box of tissues on the far counter. He moved around the kitchen, grabbing a few tissues on the way. He stopped by the sink, setting the tissues to the side. He started to scrub his hands clean, his surgeon head clicking in as he moved his soapy fingers around one another, touching every crevice. He reached for the tissues and wet them under the tap. He turned the tap off and set the soaked tissues on the counter while he quickly dried his hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked quietly.

Troy gently took the tissues into his hand and moved back over to her, kneeling down so that her cut was in front of him. It was just below the hem of the right hem and had started to seep blood a little. It didn't look too deep but deep enough to cause a little pain. He looked up at her and sought her eyes. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"I'm sorry if this hurts a little. It's not antiseptic but it might sting," he said softly before he placed the tissues onto the small wound.

She released a gasp and closed her eyes. "Are you sure that's only water?" she cried.

"I'm sorry," he pleaded as he quickly rubbed the excess blood away and then threw the tissues into the trash can a few feet away. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a band aid. He ripped it open and then placed it securely over the small cut. He leaned down and placed a small kiss on the wounded area as he looked up at her. "How's that?"

She blushed a light pink and nodded. "Thank you. I guess I should add some band aids to my shopping list."

Troy chuckled as he stuffed the wrapping from the band aid into his pocket. "Would you like me to look at your ankle? I know I'm a vet but it's basically the same stuff but kind of different. Let me check it out?"

She sighed and nodded. "Okay."

Troy held her foot gently in one hand and the other cradled her ankle. He gently massaged her ankle, digging his strong fingers into her muscles. He didn't bother asking if it was hurting because he had learnt very early on in his ambition to be a vet to tell when anything was in pain. He felt Gabriella's muscles tense as he touched on part of her ankle but she made no other reaction. He moved further around her ankle, continuing his gentle massages. Her toes suddenly curled and she released a painful hiss. He moved away from that part of her ankle and gently massaged the other side. He looked up at her and smiled. "Well, the good news is it's completely fixable."

"The bad news?" she asked quietly.

"It's a bad twist," he said softly, continuing his gentle touches of her foot and ankle.

"So, what do I do to get it fixed?" she questioned as he returned to his full height.

"You shouldn't walk on it if possible," he explained.

"How am I going to do that?" she exclaimed. "We're going to the fair."

"I know. I'll carry you on my back. You're the lightest person I know, except Kaden, so I can carry you, no problem." He saw her about to speak and added, "Don't even bother trying to convince me otherwise. It's no problem."

She pouted. "I don't want to be a bother."

He sighed. "It's okay. You're not a bother, I promise. I want you to enjoy tonight but I don't want you to mess up your ankle. Besides, I saw your attempt of hopping earlier. You should stick to being a lawyer."

She slapped his chest and folded her arms. "You're so stubborn!"

"So, is that a 'Troy, you're so wonderful, thank you for offering to carry me'?" he asked, grinning cheekily at her.

"I suppose," she muttered.

After Troy had found her some white ballet flats in the hall closet for her and they had managed to persuade Kaden that the fair would be so much better than Spongebob, the three of them set off towards the fair. Gabriella hung off of Troy's back, her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. His arms held her legs securely so she wouldn't hurt her ankle under any condition.

"Daddy, why can't you carry me?" Kaden whined after a small silence.

"Because Gabi's hurt," Troy said shortly.

Gabriella giggled and looked down on the little boy who had been instructed to hold onto Troy's belt loop. "When my ankle's better, I'll take you to the park and carry you there."

"You don't have to do that, you know," Troy offered.

"What if I want to?" she whispered.

Troy swallowed the newly formed lump and stayed silent for the rest of the journey. They soon arrived at the edge of a large field which Gabriella could've sworn was empty the day before. It wasn't a large fair. Nothing like in Silicon Valley and New York only ever had carnivals, never fairs. There was an area over to the left for children's rides including a tiny Ferris wheel and pony rides. In the middle were stalls selling food and yelling out for people to take part in games of chance. On the right was really only two things for adults: the big Ferris wheel and a small stage where, Troy knew, one of Ryan's dance troops would be performing.

"What do you think?" Troy asked as he adjusted Gabriella on his back.

"This is really cool. I like it. Are you sure I'm okay up here?" she asked sceptically.

Troy nodded. "Please! You're fine. But, eat more. You're tiny."

"Maybe you're just huge and need to stop eating," she retorted playfully.

Sharpay and Zeke approached them, their hands linking them together. "Hey," the blonde said happily.

Kaden let go of Troy and rushed over to the couple. "Auntie Sharpay! Uncle Zeke!"

Sharpay bent down and hugged him before Zeke did the same. "So, I have to ask: why are you carrying her?" Sharpay asked Troy.

"She hurt her ankle and can't walk on it," he explained.

Sharpay raised her eyebrows suggestively at Gabriella. "Really? I hope you're better soon."

"Don't give me that look!" Gabriella exclaimed. "Tay's been giving me that look all week."

Zeke chuckled. "Leave her alone, Pay. We'll leave you guys. Have fun." Zeke steered Sharpay away from them.

Troy twisted his head a little bit to catch a glimpse of Gabriella. "What was that about?"

Gabriella groaned, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Tay's been teasing me all week because of how many times we've had lunch together is all. And I know that look in Sharpay's eyes. I don't like it, really. Reminds me of…"

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure she won't force you into a relationship," he soothed.

"I hope not," she mumbled. "I don't need that kind of commitment right now."

"Naomi!" Kaden suddenly yelled excitedly as Taylor, Chad and Naomi appeared.

"Kaden," Naomi squealed happily as the two friends hugged.

"Hey, guys," Troy greeted.

Chad nodded and grinned. "Are you guys having fun?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. Well, if you count as twisting my ankle as having fun, I'm having a blast."

"Oh, come on," Troy exclaimed. "Just admit that you love me carrying you."

"Shut up," she grumbled. "Just admit that you love carrying me."

Troy sighed. _What if I do_? "Like that's ever going to happen."

Taylor laughed softly. "Would you like us to take Kaden off of your hands?"

Troy shook his head and spoke at the same time as Gabriella. "No."

Gabriella nodded. "Yes." Gabriella looked in shock at Troy. "What?" she whispered.

_She said yes! She wants to be alone. Play it cool, Bolton._ "Never mind. That would be awesome. With Gabi's messed up ankle, it would be amazing if I didn't have to watch out for a bundle of energy."

Kaden giggled and hugged Troy's legs. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too, buddy. I'll see you later, okay?" he asked.

"You know," Taylor started, "Kaden can sleep over at our house tonight if you want."

"Tay…" Gabriella groaned, moving her head so that she couldn't see Taylor's smirk.

"Tay, leave Gabi alone," Chad warned. "He can, if you want. It won't bother us."

Troy smiled slightly. "Thanks, guys. Maybe Mike, Dad and I can hang out tonight, have a couple of beers…thanks. I'll see you tomorrow, K. Love you."

"Love you, too," Kaden mumbled as he concentrated on the hand clap routine that Naomi was teaching him.

"Thanks guys," Troy said softly.

"No worries," Taylor dismissed. "You never know what could happen at a fair."

"Tay!" Gabriella exclaimed, popping her head up over Troy's shoulder again. "If you want to arrive at my office with a job on Monday, you will shut up."

"Sorry," she muttered. "Come on, kids, do you want pony rides?" she asked as she guided them towards the ponies.

"Get down a second, okay?" Troy asked as he crouched down.

Gabriella slid off of his back, balancing on her good foot. She gripped onto his arm as he turned to her. "What's up?"

"I want to look at you when we talk," he said softly, holding her waist so she wouldn't fall.

"You want to talk?" she asked quietly.

"Well, what do you want to do first?" he asked, gesturing to the fair.

She shrugged. "I don't know. You pick."

Troy surveyed the games of chance and his eyes lit up. There was one game he was certain he'd win. "How would you like to win something?"

"Win what?" she giggled.

"I don't know. Whatever they're giving away at that stall," he said and pointed at the stall he wanted to have a go at.

Gabriella held back a giggle when she saw what he wanted to do first. It was a small stall a little way away and it wasn't uncommon at other fairgrounds. There were three basketball hoops at different heights. She guessed that you got a different prize depending on which one you scored. "Trust you to pick that one." She rolled her eyes.

He chuckled and shrugged. "Well, I know I'll win something for you."

"For me?" she asked quietly. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to," he murmured as he bent down and let her climb onto his back again. He straightened up and headed over to the stall he wanted to play at. He set her down and she leaned against the ledge of the stall for support. He smiled at the owner of the stall. "Hey, Phil." He grinned as he pulled his wallet out and pulled out some money. "How much do you want?"

Phil, a man looking to be in his early sixties with a round stomach and a balding head, returned the grin. "Two bucks for three tries. Of course, you won't need that many."

Troy laughed and handed over two notes. He turned to Gabriella as he stowed his wallet in his pocket. "Phil, here, buys stuff from the farm."

"Stuff?" she asked. "Is that a technical term?"

"Fine," he sighed. "He buys our produce, Miss Lawyer."

"A lawyer?" Phil asked as he handed a basketball to Troy. "Very impressive."

"Phil, this is Gabriella," Troy introduced as he shot for the highest basket. "She's my dad's lawyer."

"And you two are…" Phil trailed off suggestively as he passed the basketball back to Troy.

Troy rolled his eyes and shot again. "Friends. Good friends. Best friends."

"What about Chad and Kelsi?" Phil asked and handed the ball back to Troy again.

Gabriella watched the interaction with interest. It wasn't like when Jack and Troy interacted. It was more like Michael and Kaden interacted. Uncle and nephew. She knew Phil was teasing Troy because of her but she found it pretty amusing, if she was honest. The way Troy responded with such abandon that she found herself silently giggle to herself at the aspect. There had been so many occasions in their friendship that she'd have to remind herself that he was a father, himself. If it wasn't the way he dressed – usually baggy jeans and a casual button up shirt – it was the way he acted around people. He was so teasing and joking that, if she didn't know him like she did, she would've assumed he was a player, a man looking for a good time with no strings attached. However, she knew him better than she knew law. She knew that he acted that way to show his appreciation for a person's company and to show he cares about them.

He'd told her, however, that he hadn't been teasing people for a while because of the current divorce that was shaking everyone. She didn't know if it was because of her arrival but, she suspected it might've been. She liked that. She wanted to change his life for the better and affect him like he affects her.

Her eyes suddenly caught sight of his muscles flexing beneath his shirt as he shot the final basket. She couldn't help it. It was happening more and more. He was so handsome; she couldn't believe he was her best friend. Everything about him screamed that he was perfect and she couldn't help but agree. Not just with his appearance, but with how he made her feel safe and calm and happy around him.

"Them, too," Troy grinned as the ball soared through the net again. "But, Gabi's different. You know how each of my friends are different? She's another 'different'."

Gabriella blushed slightly and looked down at the ground. "I met Kelsi in New York when I was at college," she finally offered. "And Sharpay and Ryan, too."

Phil nodded with understanding. "So, what made you want to move from exciting New York to this pretty little town?"

"Circumstances," she mumbled, looking away.

Troy wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. "He didn't know," he murmured. He turned to Phil and sighed. "What does she get for me scoring three baskets?"

"Anything from the top shelf," Phil offered, gesturing to the range of large cuddly toys.

Troy turned to Gabriella. "What do you want?"

"Why don't you pick something for me?" she asked softly.

He nodded and scanned the toys for them to choose from. He pointed to the large pale blue horse at the end of the shelf. "Do you like that one?"

She thought about it briefly. She did like horses a lot. And she'd rode a horse the first time she had lunch with Troy. And the colour reminded her of his eyes. It was perfect just like him. "I love it."

"That one, please, Phil," Troy said gratefully.

"Here you go, Troy." Phil handed the toy over to Troy.

"Thank you." Troy tucked the toy under one arm and the other was still wrapped around her waist, helping to steer her away from the stall.

"Thank you so much," she said softly.

"Don't think about it," he muttered.

* * *

Troy bent down and allowed Gabriella to slide off of his back. He turned around just as she opened her front door, leaning against the doorframe for support. "Here's your horse," he said as he handed the toy horse to her.

She took it from him and set it down in the hallway. "Thank you so much for tonight. I had so much fun."

He smiled in relief and nodded. "I'm glad you did. What are you going to call him?" he asked, gesturing to the horse.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe…Hero. What do you think?"

The look in her eyes made his heart skip a beat. He knew what she was saying. Or, at least, what he wanted her to say. He couldn't decide which one it was. But, the way she was staring at him was so overwhelming, almost electrifying. What he thought she was saying was that he's her hero. He swallowed the lump that was slowly forming in his throat and nodded. "I like it."

She smiled softly at him. "Good."

There was pause as they continued to look into each other's eyes. Troy rocked back and fore on his feet. He finally broke the silence. "How's your ankle now?"

"Much better," she replied. "Thanks for carrying me."

"No problem. Like I said: eat more. You're like a twig!" he exclaimed.

She giggled and nodded. "Yes, dad."

_Believe me, you don't want me to be your dad with the thoughts running through my mind._ He grinned and shrugged. "I'm just saying you're tiny."

"And as I said before: maybe you're just huge," she teased. She suddenly realised the other possible implication and blushed deeply.

Troy raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly.

"I mean, you're really tall," she mumbled. "You know what I mean, stop it."

He chuckled and nodded. "Sorry. I'd better go." He stepped forward and rest one hand gently on her waist as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. He stepped back and smiled at her. "Goodnight, Gabi," he whispered as he turned around and started down the steps.

She licked her lips and hurriedly began to limp to the edge of the top step. "Troy?"

He reached the bottom step and turned to her, smiling. "Yeah, Gabi?"

She gestured for him to come back to her. "Come here, Troy."

He climbed back up the stairs until he was on the step below hers so they were almost the same height. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she muttered. "I just want to give you something."

He shrugged. "Okay…"

She wrapped her arms around his neck as she nervously licked her lips. Their eyes connected as his arms circled her waist. Her breaths quickened with nerves about what was about to occur. Despite how both of them had discussed how they wanted slow relationships, she knew that the imminent kiss was inevitable. She leaned closer to him, their arms tightening around the other. She slowly closed her eyes and leaned forward that extra centimetre and placed her lips gently over Troy's.

Troy pulled her even closer and slowly began to respond. He was surprised to say the least. Their bodies fit perfectly against one another and their lips moved in complete sync. Her lips were so delicate and soft, they felt like velvet. He could taste her sweet raspberry lip gloss and smell her glorious violet perfume. He pulled back breathlessly. "Gabi," he murmured.

"Hmmmm…"

"What have you done?" he asked before reconnecting their lips and beginning a slow dance between their tongues. He couldn't believe it. He was kissing her and she was so perfect. But, she was his father's lawyer! Wasn't there some law against that kind of stuff? But, she was the one who had started the kiss and she didn't seem to be one to willingly be unprofessional…

She pulled back and her eyes went wide with realisation. "Oh, my god," she whispered. "I have to go. Bye, Troy." She broke from his arms and rushed into her house, shutting the door behind her.

Troy ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he just lost her.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I don't know what you'll think of this but ZZ9PluralZAlpha liked it :) I put in a little Jelsi :) Hope you like it :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Troy stared up at his bedroom ceiling. It's been two days since the fair and the kiss. He'd somehow made it through the weekend and the Monday without thinking about it but now he couldn't get it out of his head. It was like a scratched DVD that kept repeating the same scene over and over again. He'd put Kaden to bed around three hours ago and so far, Troy hadn't gotten one blink of sleep. He was sprawled on top of the covers in his boxers and an old basketball jersey. It wasn't the best place to think about everything, admittedly.

This was when he really wanted Ellie back. Ellie always knew what to say, no matter the problem. He knew she came back as his conscience, but that didn't honestly count. But, then again, if Ellie was still with him, he wouldn't be in the situation he was at this moment. They'd still be loving each other, bringing Kaden up together. If she was still here, they could have more children and they'd grow old together.

It didn't make sense. Why did Ellie, a person so good and innocent, have to go and leave him feeling so confused? He thought he'd figured it out. But, now that he's in love with Gabriella, he was confused all over again. He didn't know what to do with Gabriella after their kiss. They hadn't spoken the whole weekend and he couldn't see them speaking in the near future.

He sighed and got out of bed, padding down the hall. He peeped around the open door to Kaden's room and smiled sadly to himself. Despite his feelings for Gabriella, he knew that, ultimately, it was Kaden who was getting the worst of everything. He was getting so confused as to why Gabriella was around all of the time one minute and never there the next.

He walked softly into the room and picked up Kaden's Wah-Wah bear that fallen off of his bed. He set it next to Kaden's head and then tucked the blankets more snugly around his son. He leaned down and kissed his forehead. Kaden wriggled in his sleep and then settled back.

Troy retreated out of the room, leaving Kaden to his peaceful, uncomplicated dreams. He made his way downstairs and flicked the light on in the living room. He sank down onto the couch. His thoughts drifted to Ellie. Life had been so wonderfully simple and he'd just…accepted it. He'd never taken Ellie for granted. But, he'd taken the life they'd had for granted. He'd been her loving husband, being a vet while she had stayed at the ranch most of the time, breaking and training the horses.

Now, though, he wanted to know what to do. He'd never been exactly confident with girls. He'd only ever had one girlfriend other than Ellie. It had taken him over a year to gather enough courage to ask her to the Spring Fling. Now he'd kissed his best friend, hadn't spoken to her in days and didn't know what to do.

The memory of the kiss flooded his mind again and he groaned. The way her fingers and played idly with the hairs at the back of his neck. The way their bodies had felt pushed up against the other. The way their bodies had _fitted _together like a jigsaw. Finally, the way their lips had moved together in perfect sync and the way their tongues had danced skilfully together. She'd tasted so sweet. Like chocolate and cinnamon. Butterflies erupted in a tornado within his stomach.

"So perfect," he muttered to himself.

He needed to think of something. Anything. He needed to think something up to get her to at least talk to him. Even when he tried texting her or calling her, she was ignoring him. He really didn't want to go around to her house and force her to talk to him if she didn't want to, but he had a feeling that would, ultimately, have to happen. That's all he wanted to do: talk to her. He wanted to know where they both stood as far as a relationship is concerned.

His ears perked when he heard a lock turn. A sound that came from the front door. He leapt to his feet and rushed into the hallway, pressing his back flat against the wall. He reached for an umbrella and gripped it tightly in both hands. No burglar was getting anything from his house other than a kick in the ass.

The front door suddenly opened to reveal Kelsi standing their in her pyjamas, a denim jacket he recognised as Jason's wrapped around her petite frame. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she stepped inside and stuffed her keys into the jacket pocket.

Troy blinked in confusion. "Kels? Why are you here?"

She shut the door and shrugged. "I don't know. I need you. What were you going to do? Flap him to death with the umbrella?"

"No…" Troy said slowly, throwing it to the side and making a mental note to pick it up before Kaden got up. "So, what's up?"

Kelsi sighed as she made her way into the lounge and sat down on the couch. She turned to him as he sat next to her. "I need to talk to someone. Anyone. I can't hold it in any longer."

"What are you talking about?" Troy asked worriedly. "Where's Jase? Oh no. Has something gone wrong? I mean, I thought you two were perfect together…"

Kelsi giggled. "We are. I mean, the reason I'm here is because I need to talk to someone and you know that waking him up is like waking the dead."

Troy chuckled in agreement. "I suppose. So, what brought you all the way out here at midnight?"

She fiddled with her hands nervously. "I don't know what to do," she whimpered quietly.

Troy wrapped his arms around her, a concerned look slowly appearing over his handsome features. "You don't know what to do?" He sighed when she shook her head. "You don't know what to do about what?" he asked more specifically.

She sighed and turned to him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm pregnant."

Troy's eyes went wide and he grinned. "Kels, that's…that's amazing. I'm so happy for you."

She stayed silent, moving her eyes back down to her lap.

Troy's grin slowly faded in realisation and he pulled back slightly. "Kels…Jase…He doesn't know…does he?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly. I mean, the only reason I know is because…well," she flushed with embarrassment, "I was late and that was the most obvious reason so I took a couple of tests. I went to the doctor and he just confirmed it. Jase hasn't even suspected it because I haven't had morning sickness or anything yet."

"Oh, Kels…Why'd you tell me first?" he exclaimed.

She shrugged. "I don't know. You're my best friend. It made sense at the time. I mean, I've been tossing and turning all night and eventually decided to come here."

"When did you find out?" he asked quietly, brushing his fingers through her auburn hair.

"A couple of days ago," she admitted, finally turning to face him.

"What's bothering you?" he asked solemnly.

Kelsi's lip quivered as tears blurred her vision. "I got thinking when I found out."

"What about?" he whispered, his arms tightening around her.

"Gabriella. I mean, what if I have a miscarriage? I saw her go through so much pain and trauma and I don't know if I can cope with that," she mumbled. She sniffed. "And I got thinking about Ellie. How she gave her life to give you Kaden. I'm not saying I wouldn't do that so that Jase could have," she paused and rested a hand on her stomach, "but he's so clueless most of the time. I don't want to think about how he'd be on his own to bring up a baby."

"Kels!" he exclaimed. "You can't think like that."

"I can't help it," she whispered, looking into his vivid blue eyes. "Two of my best friends lost their everything because of pregnancies. What if it happens to me?"

Troy wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Kels, please," he begged, "stop it right now. What happened to Gabi and me, Kels, the chances of that stuff happening were one in a million. Think of Tay and Chad, okay? Tay was okay and so was Naomi." He sighed softly. "The thing with Gabi is that she lost Austin, too. But, I know for a fact that Jase wouldn't ever leave you for anything. He was like a lost puppy when you went up to New York for Gabi."

She smiled slightly. "I'm being silly, aren't I?"

He nodded and glanced at her stomach. He slowly moved his hand and placed it there, looking into her eyes. "You'll be a great mom, okay? No matter what happens with this pregnancy, I promise."

She placed her hand over his and nodded, leaning into his embrace. "What were you doing awake, anyway?"

Troy sighed. Trust Kelsi Nielson to figure out that he'd already been awake. "It's nothing, Kels."

Kelsi looked up at him and moved out of his arms to give him a stern look. "Nothing, nothing or something, nothing? If I know at all, I'm willing to bet a something, nothing."

He ran his hand over his face. "Is Jase your best friend? Even more than me?"

Kelsi thought about it and wrapped her boyfriend's jacket tighter around her, inhaling his scent. "Yeah. He is. Why?"

"I kissed my best friend," he mumbled and looked away.

* * *

In the morning, after spending the night with Troy on the couch, Kelsi arrived back at the house she and Jason had bought a couple of years ago when they graduated college. She shut the door behind her and looked it. She dropped the keys onto the table under the coat hooks and slipped her sneakers off. She quietly made her way up the stairs and walked into hers and Jason's bedroom. She rolled her eyes when she saw him tangled in the comforter. He showed no sign that he'd even noticed her absence. But, that was her Jase.

She glanced at the clock. It was almost half seven. She knew he had to get to work by nine. She climbed onto the bed and stroked Jason's hair. "Jase…" she sang softly.

Jason groaned and rolled closer to her. "Kels…" he grumbled.

She giggled and leaned down to kiss him. He slowly responded but it was slightly sloppy from tiredness. She pulled back and looked into his brown eyes which were dull with sleep. "Hey, Jase. How are you?"

"Tired," he groaned. He sat up and stretched, the comforter falling away to reveal his bare chest. He became more awake when he saw his girlfriend's appearance. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Troy's," she admitted, moving to sit against the headboard.

"Okay…" he said slowly, moving to sit beside her. "The last time you went over in the middle of the night, you'd found out about Gabi and you were worried about telling me you wanted to go to New York to be with her. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she whispered.

He wrapped an arm around her. "So…"

She took a deep breath. "I love you, Jase. I love you so much."

He nodded worriedly. "I love you, too."

She bit her lip and took his hand in hers. "I'm kind of, well, pregnant."

His face paled slightly and he swallowed. "How 'kind of'?"

She looked into his eyes and sighed. "About seven weeks. Give or take a couple of days."

"With a baby, right?" he asked dumbly.

She raised her eyebrows. "No. With a frog," she said sarcastically. "What do you think?"

He suddenly grinned and leaned forward to kiss her passionately, his hand moving to rest on her stomach. He pulled back breathlessly to look into her eyes. "God, I love you."

She giggled softly. "Good. I love you, too."

"Troy knows, doesn't he?" Jason asked.

She nodded guiltily. "I'm sorry. I got kind of scared because of what happened to Gabi and Ellie and I wanted to talk to him about it."

"I'm not mad," he whispered.

She nodded with relief. "Good."

"What else?" he asked knowingly.

She took a deep breath. "You can't tell anyone," she murmured.

He nodded and brushed some hair from her face. "I swear."

"Troy and Gabi kissed and he doesn't know what to do. She isn't talking to him and…" She sighed. "They're two of my best friends. I don't want a rift between them."

Jason held him tightly against his chest. "There won't be a rift," he said softly. "If I know you and Sharpay and even Taylor, you guys won't let that happen. _I _won't let that happen if it's going to upset you. They'll make up."

* * *

Gabriella felt like banging her head repeatedly against the wall until she had no brain cells. Then, she'd actually have a liable excuse for kissing Troy. She'd told him that she didn't need the kind of commitment that came from dating. Especially since Troy was a widowed father. But, maybe she did need that commitment. Maybe she wanted to be depended on by someone else instead of her depending on each of her friends. The thing was, if she was ever going to become a mother, a good one, she had to learn to be depended on. She had to learn about commitment to even dream about getting to that stage.

She groaned and buried her face into her hands, her elbows propped up onto her desk. She'd been down that road before and look where it got her. But, that had been Austin. He was behind her. She had to look forward into her future. She had Jack's case to concentrate on, she really shouldn't have Troy in her head whilst working, and if the kiss meant anything to him, Troy was in her future as far as she could see.

But, that's what terrified her to the point of crying at the smallest thing. Troy had been texting and calling her all weekend and every time he did, she chickened out from picking up the phone to answer the call or reply to the text. She didn't want Troy to tell her that 'he just wants to be friends'. She couldn't go through that. Not after how much she'd come to depend on him to make everything better. Every time in the short space of time they'd known each other that she felt like giving up, he'd told her otherwise. He'd given her strength to carry on.

But, how did he fix this when she wasn't accepting his offers to talk? She didn't know. But, she was honestly scared. She didn't want to lose Troy. But, she wanted him to make everything better at the same time. How could she have both things at once?

"Knock, knock," a voice said from the doorway.

Gabriella lifted her head and grinned at Kelsi. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Kelsi shut the office door with her foot and revealed a Starbucks to-go bag and two to-go cups. "Surprise. I thought I'd come and see my best friend's law practice. Are you busy? I brought coffee and muffins." She grinned as she sat down on the opposite side of Gabriella's desk.

Gabriella smiled in relief and shook her head. "I'd love to have some coffee."

Kelsi handed one of the cups over and reached into the paper bag to bring out two double chocolate chip muffins. She knew that 'in her condition' according to Jason she shouldn't be having caffeine and so, she had, uncharacteristically, bought a de-caffeinated coffee. She sipped her coffee and shot Gabriella a look. "What is wrong with this place? It feels like an oven!"

"The AC doesn't work," she mumbled as she unwrapped her muffin and began picking a chunk off. She popped it into her mouth and sighed. "Troy was going to fix it."

Kelsi nodded with understanding. "Right. So, how are you? I haven't seen you around recently. Been too busy with Mr Bolton?"

Gabriella sipped her coffee and blushed. "I think I've been a bit _too_ busy with Mr Bolton," she whispered.

Kelsi heard her all the same. "I know," she admitted.

Gabriella lifted her head in shock. "What?" she cried.

"I know what happened on Friday. Troy told me," she whispered. "Why aren't you talking to him?"

"I want to," Gabriella murmured as she picked bits off of her muffin. "I'm afraid to. What if it wasn't good or he didn't like it or 'he just wants to be friends'. I can't go through that. I ruined everything."

Kelsi looked across at her distressed friend. "I'm not going to tell you what he thought about it. That's not my place to say. But, I think you should know that he's just as scared as you are. The one thing he couldn't stop saying was how Kaden is in the middle of all of this."

Gabriella nodded glumly. "I get it," she muttered. She took a long gulp of her coffee.

Kelsi took a deep breath, knowing Gabriella could use a cheer up. "Do you want some good news?" she asked quietly.

Gabriella nodded slightly as she continued eating her muffin. "I'd love some good news."

"Do you want to be a godmother?" she asked quietly, cradling her coffee cup in her small hands.

The brunette woman lifted her head in shock. "What?"

Kelsi shrugged sheepishly. "I'm pregnant!"

Gabriella squealed as the two woman rushed to stand up and hug each other. "Oh, my god! That's amazing." She placed her petite hand on her best friend's stomach. "I'm so happy for you and Jase. How far along?" she asked as she dropped her hand from Kelsi's stomach.

"About seven weeks. I didn't know what to do when I found out. I mean, I kept thinking about what happened to you and Ellie. But, Troy and Jase were both great and convinced me that no matter what happens, I have all of my friends," she said softly.

Gabriella smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh, Gabi!" Kelsi exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I just…I didn't think."

"It doesn't matter," she whispered. "I'm glad you picked me to be the godmother. Can I guess who the godfather is?"

Kelsi nodded. "Gabs, you've got to sort this out. You can't live like this!"

Gabriella threw her hands up. "I didn't want to live like this," she cried. "I wanted to live in New York with Austin and my baby. But, I can't live that life. That's just the dream I had when everything was happening. Now? I just want to get Jack's case over and done with and then…"

"What?" Kelsi whispered. "You won't go back, right? You'll stay?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know. I want Troy back. I wish I'd never kissed him."

"Can I ask something?" Kelsi murmured.

Gabriella nodded. "Of course."

"Why?"

Gabriella knew the look in Kelsi's eyes. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she wanted to know what Gabriella felt towards the young father. Tears leaked from her mocha eyes and she released a quiet whimper. "Kels, I honestly think I love him."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I wrote this a couple of days ago but, as always, I wanted ZZ9PluralZAlpha to look through it :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Jack wasn't one to worry too much about his oldest son. After everything that happened to him, he kept struggling through and was always okay in the end. So, when Jack walked into the kitchen after coming home from East High and saw Troy sat there, staring at the table, he knew something was wrong. He knew that on Tuesdays Troy worked at the surgery in the morning, has lunch at the ranch and then worked there until dinner. But, it was half past three and it looked like he'd been sitting there since lunchtime. He stood in the doorway, giving himself time to evaluate his son even further. He was drinking coffee and the remains of a sandwich in front of him. He didn't want to even guess how long he'd been sat there but he was certain that work definitely wasn't on his mind.

The divorce was a possibility. Troy always retreated into himself whenever he began thinking about how he caused it. It hadn't happened in quite a while. Jack had assumed that Troy had finally realised that it had nothing to do with him. But, maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe Troy had just been distracted by Gabriella. He knew that the last three had been tough for Troy and Meaghan's accusations, to both Troy and Jack, were simply making things worse.

Kaden was a likely reason for Troy to become subdued. Kaden was Troy's everything and Jack knew how Troy feared that the divorce would affect Kaden now and in the future. Jack loved Kaden immensely and it was reciprocated. Kaden doted on Jack and the last thing he wanted was for Kaden to be upset or something worse simply because his marriage failed.

It almost made him feel like he failed as a husband, father and grandfather. Despite how Meaghan's accusations about him cheating on her were false, he must've failed as a husband for her to even suspect it. When Troy had been born, and then Michael, he'd promised himself that he'd do everything in his power to protect them. But, Troy had experienced so much hurt, albeit through unavoidable circumstances, and he had no idea how to make it better. He'd failed as a grandfather. Kaden was three years old, and yet, Jack was divorcing Meaghan. What kind of example was he setting? Relationships weren't something that were meant to be given up on easily. He sometimes wished that he could take Kaden back in time to show him what a real, loving relationship looked like. He wanted to show him Troy when Ellie had been alive.

There was only one other possible explanation as to why his oldest son looked so depressed. Gabriella. Now, Jack was very fond of Gabriella. She was very nice and sweet and, on top of that, she was a good lawyer. He knew that Troy had felt something more towards her and he just hoped that he wasn't disappointed or hurt. He didn't need that on top of everything.

Jack bent down to place his gym bag on the floor by the door and made his way quietly into the room, not wanting to startle Troy. He sat next to his son and sighed softly. "Troy," he whispered.

Troy set his cup down that was almost full. He didn't even bother trying to smile. "Hey, Dad."

"How long have you been sat here?" Jack demanded quietly.

Troy looked over at the clock hanging on the wall and his eyes widened as he gasped. "Oh, my god. Dad, I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologise. How long?" he persisted.

Troy looked away from his father. "About two hours." He picked his coffee up and groaned. "I didn't even notice my coffee's gone cold." He set the cup down and let his eyes close.

"So, what's going on?" Jack asked softly.

Troy opened his eyes and turned to him. "I don't know what to do. I mean…" He swallowed. "She was the one who did. Now she won't talk to me. I mean, I wanted to and it was wonderful but I just want to know where I stand. You know?"

Jack opened his mouth and then shut it. He shook his head. "No, not really. Can you start from the beginning? Or at least fill in the blanks a little bit…"

The younger Bolton man ran his hand over his face, something that was happening more and more frequently over the past couple of days. "Dad, I kissed your lawyer. Or she kissed me. I think I kissed her the second time. I don't know. We kissed. When I walked her home from the fair. It was damn right brilliant. Who'd have thought that Gabriella could kiss like that? But, she hasn't spoken to me since. I mean, I'm scared. I don't want to lose her. What am I going to do?" he exclaimed.

Jack stared wide eyed. "You _kissed_ her?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I wanted to. But, I didn't want to lose her because of it."

"Have you tried talking to her?" Jack asked softly.

Troy nodded. "Well, kind of. I've called her and texted her. She rejects my calls and I don't even know if she reads the texts."

"Do you want to know what I think?"

Troy smiled in relief. "Yes!"

"I think you need to tell her despite how she feels about you. That's the only way to sort this whole thing out. I'm sorry if it doesn't turn out the way you were hoping." He rested a hand on his son's shoulder.

"That makes sense in the circumstances but…I'm not sure if I can. Not at the minute," Troy whispered as he scraped his chair back and stood up. "I'll be in the barn. I need to think even though that's all I've been doing for the past two hours. It needs tidying anyway. I'll see you later." He made his way out of the house, grabbing the protective gloves from the counter on the way.

As he travelled across the yard towards the barn where his friendship with Gabriella began, he felt the envelope weighing his jeans pocket down. He'd only read it once. But, he needed it again. He wanted answers, advice. Jack had _tried_ to give him advice but it wasn't all that helpful. He wanted a way to make sure that, no matter what, she'd always be in his life – as friends or otherwise.

He stepped into the barn and made his way over to a bale of hay in the far corner. He brought the envelope out of his pocket and sank down onto the bale of hay. His eyes watered as he unfolded it and the familiar, italicised handwriting came to view. He hadn't seen it in three years. It had been three years since he'd read this letter after he'd found it while boxing Ellie's books up. He remembered feeling confused at seeing his full name written on the envelope. Ellie had never used his full name and so when he saw it there on the envelope, he knew it would be serious.

He held the envelope in his left hand and his index finger over the black ink using his right hand. He could imagine her writing it. He knew that she wrote it at night while he was sleeping. He could imagine her in all her beauty. He knew that she had written whilst she was pregnant, four months along to be exact. He could imagine her sitting up in bed while he was sleeping. He could see the bedside lamp bathing her in liquid gold. He could see her dressed in one of his oversized shirts, her knees pulled up so she could lean on them. She probably leaned on one of her books on her knees as she wrote the letter. He was almost certain that her hazel eyes would've been swimming with tears.

He reached up with his right hand to wipe his tears away. He needed Ellie. He needed her so bad. This was why he didn't know what to do as far as Gabriella was concerned. He still loved Ellie like he did the day he met her and he couldn't help it. But, he loves Gabriella, too, exactly like he loves Ellie. He needed Gabriella to understand that he will always love Ellie, no matter what.

He slowly pulled the pieces of paper from the envelope and smiled sadly to himself. He unfolded the papers and noticed how some of the writing was smudged with tears. His tears. He'd only read it once before, and then, it had been perfect. No smudges or creases other than the ones Ellie had made while folding them. But, he'd cried when he'd read this the first time around and he knew he'd cry as he read it again.

_Dearest Troy,_

_I'm writing this letter as a precaution for the future. I don't know if you'll ever read this but you'll only read this if I'm gone. I don't know the reason I'll be gone but I want you to know that I love you so incredibly much and I always will._

_I don't know how old you'll be when you'll read this but you'll still be the most handsome guy on Earth. And I know that you'll be confused, no matter how old you are. This is why I'm writing this letter. I want to at least try to help._

_Firstly, I suppose I should tell you where and when I am. I'm four months pregnant. Remember that time? When my cravings were annoying everyone, especially you and Zeke? Well, that's when it is. I'm curled up in bed at about one thirty in the morning. I know, I know, I should be sleeping in my condition. When you get to heaven, you can give me my lecture, okay? But, I needed to do this. I think I need to do this because of the baby. I know you'll be a wonderful father and even if I've passed away when our baby is all grown up, I know you'll want help._

_Firstly, our baby will always love you. Our baby will love basketball and will love the ranch, too. You'll be a great father, I just know it and if you're struggling, do whatever feels right. And if you're well and truly stuck, go and talk to Tay or Lucille. They'll quite happily help you. If you don't, I'm going to kill you again once you get to heaven._

_Secondly, you can't hold onto the past. I'm going to die at some point and whether it was fair or not, it was going to happen. I know you love me (hence the weird cravings, slight bump and morning sickness) but you need to let go at some point, okay? You need to live your life and help our baby with everything._

_I suppose the last thing I want you to know is the hardest. You're a really great man and I am so happy I married you. I couldn't have asked for a better guy to give my heart and everything I owned to. You're really nice, sweet, caring, smart, and funny, you love animals and not forgetting how handsome you are. I know how many girls are attracted to you, even without getting to know you. So, I guess what I'm trying to is that if you meet another woman who truly loves you and our baby and who you love, please don't let her go. Not because of me. I'm not here anymore. You've got nothing to be guilty of. I promise._

_But, don't forget me. I might not be with you, but I'll always watch over you and our baby and your family and our friends._

_I love you._

_Ellie Bolton._

_PS_

_Please remind our baby that I'll always love them. I will._

Troy dropped the letter and envelope and cried into his hands. That was Ellie basically telling him that he was supposed to get with Gabriella or Ellie would kill him in heaven. So, he had Ellie's approval. That was half of the battle. The other half was Gabriella agreeing to go out with him.

"Need a hug?" a sweet voice asked.

At first, in his confused and upset haze, Troy had wrongly assumed that it was Gabriella offering him a hug. But, when the voice finally registered in his brain, he realised it was Kelsi. His vision cleared and he reached down for the letter. He folded it up and placed it neatly back into the envelope. He folded the whole thing in half and stood up, stuffing it into his back pocket. "Kels, what are you doing here? I need to tidy up in here." He brushed past her, heading towards the front of the barn.

Kelsi sighed and followed. "I came to find you. Is that a crime now? I came to thank you for last night. It means a lot to me." She took a seat on a bale of hay as Troy began stacking other ones. "So, how was your day?"

Troy turned to her, frustration evident in his blue eyes. "You really want to know?"

She shrugged innocently. "Yes, I do."

"The highlight was getting peed on by a Great Dane. Do you know how big their bladders are?" he asked.

"I don't really want to think about that," she said slowly. "So, I'm guessing it's been rough."

Troy sighed as he grabbed a bale of hay and carried it over to the pile at the back of the barn. "Yes, Kels. It's been terrible. Is that what you wanted to hear?" he snapped as walked back over to her to grab some more hay.

She shrugged. "To be honest, I just want you to talk to me."

"What about? I talked to you about everything last night!" he exclaimed as he continued walking back and fore, stacking bales of hay.

"I know that. But, you need to go after her. Do you know what she said this morning?" Kelsi asked.

Troy dropped the bale he had just picked up and turned to her. "You saw her?"

Kelsi nodded and crossed her legs. "I went over to her office this morning to tell her about her new godchild. She told me that, possibly, after your parents' divorce comes through, she's going back to Silicon Valley. She hasn't decided yet but she's considering it."

"What?" Troy whispered as he slowly sat down on the bale of hay he'd dropped.

Kelsi nodded. "Yeah. She's terrified of seeing you and doesn't know what to do so she figured that if things turn out too bad, she's going to go to California and come back once the baby's born for a little while."

"But, she can't. She just set up her practice. She just got here. I mean, Kels, she can't leave." He ran his hand threw his hair as tears gathered in his eyes again. "I love her," he whispered. He looked across at Kelsi and raised his voice. "She can't leave!" he yelled.

Kelsi shrugged. "Why not? Yeah, she just got her, yeah, she just set up her practice. But, she doesn't know you love her. Think about it: she's a big girl and can do whatever she wants. Especially when it comes to you. She's scared to talk to you about what happened."

It wasn't all that hard to figure out why Gabriella was scared to talk to him. He sighed and shook his head. "The thing is, Kels. What do I do? Dad says to talk to her and Ellie says to ask her out which is all very well and good but when she won't talk to me…it's kind of difficult. Besides, I'm not really all that experienced with girls. I've never kissed one and then asked her out. It was always the other way around!" he exclaimed.

"Hold up. Pause. Rewind. Ellie?" Kelsi asked in confusion.

He shrugged. "It's a long story. Don't make me relive it."

She nodded slowly. "Okay…But, even if you haven't got much experience with girls, despite the fact that you've been married, just go around to her house and talk to her!"

He stayed silent and looked down at the barn's floor.

"Troy, what did I tell you before you asked Ellie out?" she asked quietly.

A tear dripped down onto Troy's shirt. "Carpe Diem," he whispered.

"Seize the day. As in, go over there, tell her you love her _right now_." She sighed. "Do you remember when you told me that you were going to ask her to marry you? You said you were scared. You said how you were scared that maybe she wasn't ready or how everyone would think you were rushing."

Troy smiled nostalgically. "Yeah. When I told Ellie, she said I was the biggest idiot she'd ever met."

Kelsi nodded in agreement. "And when you were going to chicken out and not ask her, what did I say?"

Troy swallowed the lump in his throat. "Always do the thing that scares you," he whispered.

"Are you scared?" Kelsi asked as she stood up and made her way over to him. She sat down next to him and looked at his profile.

Troy finally nodded. "Yeah. God, I'm petrified. I never thought I'd love anyone other than Ellie but I do. I can't lose her. She can't leave. I mean…She means so much to me."

Kelsi smiled slightly. "So…what are you still doing here?"

Troy stayed silent for a minute before shaking his head. "I have no idea." He leapt to his feet and darted out of the barn. He turned around momentarily. "Have I ever told you you're a genius?"

She shrugged and smiled at him. "Maybe a couple of times. Now go. I'll see you later."

"Love you, Kels," he hollered before he ran away from the barn and headed over to Jack's house. He entered the kitchen and grabbed his keys from the counter. He noticed Jack and Michael sat at the kitchen table. He glanced at the clock and realised that he'd been in the barn for nearly an hour and a half. It was around five now. "Hey. I've got to go. I'll see you later." He left his bewildered father and brother and ran over to his pickup truck. He hurried to unlock it and climbed in. He felt the letter in his pocket and knew that Ellie was with him. She'd help him. He knew she would.

He drove quickly to Gabriella's, having to stop himself from running red lights and stop signs. He was going to tell her. He had to. No backing out. Kelsi's words repeated themselves in his head. _Always do the thing that scares you_. Well, he was scared. He was absolutely terrified that she didn't feel the same and that the kiss was just some mistake. But, on the other hand, maybe she would. He wouldn't know unless he actually did it.

He pulled up on Gabriella's driveway behind her car and climbed out of his truck, locking it behind him. He noticed that Gabriella still hadn't washed her car from when she'd been at the ranch and he wondered if she'd come to like the dirt. If, maybe, she didn't want to get rid of it because she figured that there wasn't much point if she was to return to the ranch soon.

He shook the thoughts from his head and walked up to the front door and knocked rhythmically. He glanced down and realised that he was wearing his work boots that were caked in dirt. He slipped them off, not wanting to get Gabriella's carpet dirty. If he was going to win her over, that wasn't the way to go about it. He picked them up and stood there impatiently for her to open the door.

The door suddenly opened slowly to see Gabriella stood there in a New York Giants shirt that was way too big and fell to her mid thigh. She had tear tracks down her cheeks and her hair seemed messier than Troy had ever seen it. However, she looked fucking beautiful. "Troy?" she whispered.

He smiled slightly. "Hi. We need to talk."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: So, this is chapter 14. I hope you like it. I did and so did ZZ9PluralZAlpha. Ummm...I'm working on Troy and Gabriella right now so I'll probably be uploading that next :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Gabriella stood there in shock. Here she was, wearing only a huge t-shirt, her hair was horribly messed up and she knew her cheeks were stained with tears. And he wanted to talk? She knew he wanted to talk about the kiss and didn't know what to do. She could fake being sick; her appearance backed that excuse up. But, she knew Troy and knew that despite what happened between them, he'd just want to help her get better. Maybe it was quicker to get it over with. "Now?"

Troy nodded. "If that's possible. I mean, I can come back."

She shook her head and stepped aside. "It's okay and you can bring your shoes in. I won't make you keep them outside."

Troy smiled sheepishly as he stepped inside. "I didn't want to make your carpets filthy."

"Why? Because I'm a neat freak?" she joked half-heartedly as she shut the front door.

"You said that, not me," he exclaimed, holding his hands up which waved his shoes around a bit.

"Eew!" she cringed. "Your shoes smell."

He chuckled and set his shoes on the mat by the door. "Of course they do. I where those shoes while breaking horses in. Do you know how hard that is? Of course they're going to smell." There was a short silence before he sighed. "Why are you crying?"

Gabriella led him into the lounge and pointed to the TV where a Spanish soap opera was playing. "The doctor's her son and she doesn't know and her husband is going to propose to her sister. It's so sad."

Troy nodded slowly. "Right…Maybe it's a woman thing." He noticed that a duvet was crumpled on the floor and junk food covered the coffee table. "Are you okay?"

She sat down on the couch and nodded as she brought her knees up to her chest. She pulled the t-shirt over her legs so that Troy couldn't see anything. "Yeah," she whispered. "I came home from work and wanted to get into my pyjamas. Well, it's not really classed as pyjamas."

Troy sat next to her and chuckled. "I never thought of you as a football fan. Much less for the Giants."

She smiled coyly at him. "I got into it while I was at college. I bought this at one of their games except they didn't go small enough."

Troy raised his eyebrows. "See? I told you that you need to eat more. I'm a Jets man, myself."

She released a weak giggle and nodded. "I guess. You want to talk about Friday, don't you?" she asked quietly.

"We have to," he replied.

She nodded as she reached for the TV remote and turned the TV off. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"What?" Troy exclaimed. "Why are you apologising?"

She lifted her head and shrugged. "Don't you want me to?" she whimpered.

Troy rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Well, not if you don't want to."

"Not really," she admitted as a blush made its way up her neck.

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked softly, looking into her eyes.

She swallowed and fiddled with her fingers. "Because it felt right." He knew, just like she did, that it wasn't the whole truth.

"I liked it," he said quietly, trying to save her as much embarrassment as possible. "Shall I tell you why?"

She shrugged as a tear leaked from her left eye. "I guess."

He reached for her hand and held it in both of his as tears gathered in his eyes. He lifted her knuckles to his lips before he turned to her, nerves taking over his body. "I love you," he whispered.

Gabriella's face drained of colour and her eyes widened. Did he seriously just say that? Yes, he did. Although Gabriella had wasted the entire weekend fretting over whether he would say that or not, now that it was here, she didn't know what to think. The last time a guy had said that to her, she'd ended up moving to the other side of the country. Then again, she reminded herself, this is Troy. Not Austin. Austin is gone. He isn't coming back, not with Troy around.

She swallowed and let tears roll down her cheeks. She knew Troy was waiting for a reply but she could find her voice. She'd spent the whole weekend wanting to talk to Troy but she was too scared to. And now, she actually was and he'd just told her he loves her. And her brain was malfunctioning _again_. Why was it always around him that her brain decided not to tell her voice box how to work?

Her lip quivered as tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't believe it. She honestly couldn't. She'd been wearing her Giant's t-shirt and wrapped up in her duvet, watching a Spanish soap opera and eating junk food. She'd been crying, her emotions mixing in with her reaction to the plot of the opera, and her hair was messy. And now, Troy Bolton had just confessed his love for her.

It was completely unprofessional. His dad was her client. If they started a relationship, and it seemed inevitable at this point, Jack could get accused of so much more than simply having an affair with Lucille. But, it probably wouldn't be Meaghan being paranoid. Her attorney could accuse Jack of using Troy for…things. Her brain malfunctioned again as she failed to think of anything Jack could possibly want through Troy but it was a liable accusation considering she was his lawyer. She knew that Jack didn't want anything from her, just her help.

She cleared her throat and felt Troy's hands wrap tighter around hers. "You mean that?" she asked in a squeak.

Troy moved one of his hands up to brush her hair from her face, his fingers brushing over her cheek. "Yeah. I've fallen in love with you and I don't think I can climb back out. But I don't want to. Kelsi said that you were thinking about leaving after you settle my dad's case. If you are, I need you to know that I love you so much and…I guess if going back to Silicon Valley is the right thing for you, then go."

She leaned into his touch, her eyes locked onto his. "I won't go," she whispered, "if you kiss me."

He smiled over at her as he moved the hand he had on her cheek to her neck. "I love you, Gabriella Montez," he murmured as he leaned closer and kissed her gently.

She let her feet slowly touch the floor and felt his hand release hers and grip her waist tightly instead. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling them closer together. She pushed the doubts to the back of her mind and concentrated on being in Troy's arms and the sweet caresses his lips were making on hers. She fiddled the hairs on the back of his and felt him smile against her lips. She pulled back and immediately connected their eyes. "I love you, too, Troy Bolton."

He pulled her into his lap and smiled widely at her. "Good," he whispered. One arm was wrapped around her and he rubbed gentle circles on her back. His other hand was resting on her leg, drawing invisible patterns on her exposed skin. "I love you so much," he mumbled, resting his forehead on hers.

"Don't worry, I know Kaden's possibly the most important part of this and I understand that. He won't be forgotten," she said softly, smiling shyly.

He nodded and held her even tighter to his body. "I hoped you'd say that," he whispered. "You're really good with him and the first night we met, at the shindig…that was the first time in three years I even looked at another woman. Then I couldn't stop thinking about you. Then you told me everything and I just ended up falling for you." He chuckled quietly to himself.

"When I came down here, I wanted to get away from everything. I didn't know what to expect. And I didn't expect…you. Everything you've done for me, I can't thank you enough. I love you," she whispered as she gave him a watery smile. Her fingers continued to play with the hairs on the back of his neck, sending sparks of pleasure through his veins.

"You can thank me by kissing me," he murmured and sent her a smirk.

She giggled and leaned into him more to give him another kiss. Their lips moved together rhythmically and easily as their tongues danced together sensually. Her arms tightened around his neck as she sighed happily into his mouth. She relaxed visibly into his embrace, feeling Troy's protection and love overwhelm her entire body. She felt Troy's fingers still making shapes on her leg, moving from just above her knee to higher up her thigh. She felt so safe with him. He wasn't holding her too tightly or touching her too quickly. He was using gentle touches, as if she was the most fragile thing on Earth.

He moved his kisses away from her mouth and kissed his way along her jaw before moving down to explore her neck and collarbone. He moved his hand in soothing circles on her back. "Gabi, you're absolutely gorgeous," he muttered as he lifted his head and looked deeply into her eyes. He lifted his hand from her leg and brushed her dark curls from her face. "Gabi, when I first heard you were coming down here, I was scared. The last thing I needed was another complication, after everything I've been through, and everything I've put my family and friends through. And yet, somehow, you just made things simpler. Not easier, but simpler."

She nodded tearfully and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "I love you," she whispered before she stood up and bit her lip. She offered her hand to him. "Will you come with me?"

A smile slowly spread across his face as he realised that this was what everything had been leading up to. Ever since the shindig. Every moment they spent together was simply leading them to each other. He briefly wondered if God had taken Ellie and had Gabriella have a miscarriage simply so that they'd find each other. He clasped his larger hand around her small one and nodded as he stood up. "I'd love to."

She giggled and began leading him back through her house and up the stairs. They were acting like teenagers who had been left alone in a house for the first time. They were racing up the stairs and laughing together. Gabriella felt Troy squeeze her hand as they reached her bedroom. She turned to him and licked her lips nervously. "What?"

"We don't have to do this," he whispered.

"I want to," she said strongly. She bit her lip cutely as she pulled him into her bedroom.

They made love slowly, taking their time to experience the love they'd both been holding in practically since they met. Troy had been worried. He hadn't even kissed a woman in three years; much less make love to one. But, Gabriella enjoyed every second of it. Afterward, they lay together, their legs entwined, under the sheets.

Troy turned to Gabriella, leaning up on his elbow to look down at her. "You know I love you, right?"

She nodded, a tired smile pulling at her lips. "Yeah, of course I do."

"I hope you know I still love Ellie and I always will. That won't go away," he confessed.

She nodded with understanding. "I get it. I love you, too."

He leaned down and kissed her gently. "Good." He lay back down next to her and held her close to his chest. "You know, I think for a Valedictorian-come-vet and a freaky genius lawyer girl who got into Columbia, we waited way too long for this." He chuckled, leaning down to nuzzle his nose into her neck.

She giggled and nodded. "I guess."

It was now roughly about six thirty and Gabriella could see light from street lamps spilling through her window, bathing the both of them in silver light. She saw the first stars and thanked them that she'd found Troy. She appreciated Troy's confession of still loving Ellie. She wanted him to be honest with her and what he had told her meant a lot to her. She was okay with it. She couldn't stop him from loving anyone, especially his wife – no matter if she's alive or dead. As long as he loved her, too.

A shrill ring suddenly pierced the blissful silence, making Troy groan into her neck. "Troy, honey, is that your phone?"

He nodded and sat up. "Yeah. One second, baby." He reached over the side of the bed for his jeans. He pulled his cell phone out and glanced at the caller ID, his eyes widening. "Shit." He flipped his phone open and held it to his ear. "Dad, I'm sorry. I know I'm not there. Can you just cook Kaden some dinner and look after him tonight?"

Gabriella tapped his shoulder and sat up, holding the sheet to her body. "Go to Kaden. I don't mind," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

He covered the mouth piece with his hand. "I'm not leaving. Tonight's about us. It's about you. I will not leave."

"He's your son," she said sternly.

"He's been in my life for three years," he whispered. "Yes, I love him more than life itself but, I love you, too. And we've only known each other for a short while. Please let me stay."

She reluctantly nodded. "Fine. I could do with some company anyway." She smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. She wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her as they both lay down again. "Mike, put Dad back on…Hey, Dad…Please just do him some dinner…Does it matter where I am?...Oh, you guessed that I'm at Gabi's…Dad! I'm not answering that question… Bye!" He hung up and then switched his phone off, dropping it over the side of the bed.

Gabriella rolled over so she was lying on her stomach, her chin propped on his chest. "What did he ask?"

"He asked if Kaden was getting a sibling." He chuckled quietly. "He also said he wondered what the faint banging was that he could hear."

Gabriella's eyes widened and she suddenly buried her face into his chest. "Oh, my god," she released a muffled whimper.

Troy's face fell. "Gabi? Gabi, baby, what's wrong? It's just my dad. I mean, he's just teasing. He didn't mean anything by it. If anything, I'm glad. He sounds happy that we finally overcome this whole kiss thing."

She giggled weakly but shook her head. "It's not that…exactly." She lifted her head, letting him see her blush. "It's Friday. I have a meeting with your dad and Meaghan and her attorney. I mean, after the comment about the banging… Troy! Stop laughing."

"I honestly think you're overreacting. Do you know why?" he asked as reached up to stroke her cheek.

She propped her chin on his chest and sighed gently. "Why?"

"He'll get so worked up over the meeting, he'll forget about the comments. I promise. Come on, let's just enjoy tonight," he murmured as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

* * *

Troy woke up to the quiet sound of a screen door opening. Maybe he should've woken up when Gabriella moved. But, he didn't. He sat up and ran his hand through his hair. If someone had come to him, even three months ago, and said that he'd fall in love with Kelsi's best friend, his father's lawyer, and make love to her, he'd have laughed in their face and said that it was downright ridiculous. He'd never thought he'd ever fall in love with a lawyer…but the heart works in mysterious ways. He only knew one thing: his love wasn't going to end any time soon.

He climbed out of bed and pulled his boxers up. He noticed the robe from the back of the bedroom door gone and wondered what to do. She probably left to be by herself. But, he loved her. He didn't want her to ever think she had to walk away from him. He set off down the stairs and went through to the back of the house and, as predicted, saw the screen door pulled open. He stood in the doorway, looking at Gabriella wrapped in her light blue robe, curled up on the wooden swing bench.

She cracked a smile. "You can come over, you know." She twisted her head to face. "I don't bite."

He walked over at sat down next to her, creating movement on the swing. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Will you hold me?"

He smiled and opened his arms, accepting her tiny body which leaned against his. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Do you regret it?" he asked quietly.

She twisted her head to face him. "What? No. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know. You left me and wondered if…maybe…" He trailed off, not wanting to say it again.

"Troy, honey, I loved it. It was the best decision I ever made. I swear," she whispered, leaning up to place a lingering kiss on his lips before she rested her head back on his shoulder. "I couldn't sleep and I've been tossing and turning for half an hour but I didn't want to wake you up. I guess that didn't work."

"Don't worry. I'm a single dad. I learnt how to wake up easily in case Kaden needed me," he explained. "So, do you mind me asking why you couldn't sleep?"

"I was thinking about everything," she whispered. "I was thinking how you are so incredibly different from Austin. In your character and how you make love to me. I was thinking about your dad." She lifted her head to look at him. "I was thinking about you. You know at the shindig? When you came downstairs?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"I was shocked. You looked so incredibly gorgeous. More so than Austin, which I honestly thought was impossible. I was acting like a schoolgirl. My mouth was hanging over and Sharpay had to tell to shut it. She said that I didn't have to feel guilty about feeling something for another guy. I guess I didn't expect to feel so strongly for anyone after what happened. But, I do," she whispered.

Troy smiled softly. "I get it. Dating women…It wasn't something that had occurred to me after Ellie passed even though I could. I mean, women look at me all of the time."

"They can't now. You're mine," she said softly.

"I know. You're mine, too. So, are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah. I was just thinking how much you changed everything. When I moved down here, I just wanted to be near my friends and when I got your dad's case, I was surprised. When I met you…I was blessed."

"Cheesy much," he teased.

"Shut up," she mumbled. "It's true."

"I know it is. Because I feel the same." He pulled her even closer.

"You know when you first said you love me? I doubted it because of your dad. You know, I'm his lawyer and everything. But, then you kissed me and I knew it'd be okay. But, I need you to be aware of what Meaghan could accuse your father of. I'll need to tell them so that they know. I'm not going to lie. But, your father is at risk," she said softly.

Troy nodded solemnly. "I know. But, if I let you go because of this stupid divorce, he'd quite happily kill me twice over."

She giggled. "Ryan definitely would."

"I have to ask one thing: do you honestly trust me?" he whispered, brushing his lips across her forehead.

She nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Yeah. Why?"

"We may have rushed into this, I don't know what you think. But, I love you so incredibly much and I won't hurt you. At least not on purpose. Hey, I'm a guy. It's a miracle I remember my own birthday, much less other people's. And anniversaries just complicate things. I always forgot mine and Ellie's," he exclaimed.

Gabriella sat up more and smiled up at him. "Tell me about her. I know she's a part of you and I want to know all of you," she murmured. "What was your first time making love like?" She lowered her eyes when he stayed silent. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. I'm sorry."

He stroked her hair gently. "Would you like to know? I haven't talked about it to anyone except Ellie. It's nice to talk about her like this. Would you like to know?"

She nodded shyly. "Yes, please."

He sighed softly. "We were both virgins, you know. I'd only ever had one other girlfriend and that's why I was so nervous about telling you how I feel. It was our one year anniversary. I wanted to go all out and extravagant for her, but she didn't like things to be over the top. So, I settled for a movie night. Her parents were out of town visiting her grandparents. So, we were curled up on the sofa watching _The Lion King_. Don't laugh. It's a good movie. It wasn't planned. I mean, we'd never talk about it before. But, it felt so…"

"…magical," she whispered, turning away.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Is that what it felt with Austin?"

She folded her arms and sighed, leaning her head back to look at the stars. "No," she muttered. "I was talking about you." She swallowed and closed her eyes. "When he proposed, I thought he was the greatest thing in the world. All I wanted that night was Austin. But, he was the first guy to touch me like that." She paused, wrapping her robe tighter around her. "He made me feel like I was lucky to get any pleasure out of it. But, I didn't know any different. I thought that was how it was for everyone. I mean, I'd never even done anything by myself…if you know what I mean." Her cheeks graced a gentle pink. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at him. "But, when we were upstairs in my bedroom, making love, I felt so peaceful and loved. Every time you touched me, you were so gentle and caring. You always asked if I was okay. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Troy leaned forward and kissed her gently. "You never have to see him again, okay? It's over. You have me now."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I wrote this a while back and I sent it to ZZ9PluralZAlpha but he hasn't got back to me so, I thought I'd upload it. I hope you like it.**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Troy lay awake, staring at Gabriella's ceiling. His fingers kept running up and down her bare arm, convincing himself that she was real, that she was in his arms. Her naked body was curled around his with her arm draped over his stomach and her head nestled in the crook of his armpit. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close to him. That's what he wanted. He wanted her to be close. He loved her and felt honoured that she reciprocated the feelings so much to give him the privilege to make love to her. He tightened his hold on her and felt her nuzzle closer to him.

After the confessions on Gabriella's back deck, they'd made love a second time before they'd fallen asleep. Troy couldn't believe it. Gabriella, a woman so beautiful and smart and genuinely nice, had given herself to a guy who couldn't even give her the worship she deserved. She had been truly amazing and he knew he'd never forget it. But, then again, he didn't want to be given a chance to forget it because when he looked at his future, he saw Gabriella.

He didn't want her to forget it, either. He wanted her to see what it's like when someone is truly in love with you. He wanted her to forget about Austin and just look forward to the future that they could share. He knew that Taylor had been right: Kaden did need a mother and it was time for him to move on. He couldn't live the rest of his life feeling lonely. He needed Gabriella in his life. At first, he thought it didn't matter if they were friends or otherwise, but now he needed her as someone to love.

His thoughts moved to Kaden. He knew that his son adored Gabriella. But, he also adored Kelsi but there is no way in hell he'd be with her like that. It was completely different when he had to explain to Kaden that he loved Gabriella exactly how he loved Ellie. He'd have to convince Kaden that nothing would change the relationship they had. They'd still watch TV together, they'd play basketball together and Troy would still sing to him every night. He also had to assure Kaden that Gabriella wasn't replacing Ellie and she never will.

He ran a hand through his hair. All of this time, he'd wanted Ellie back but knew that she never could. But, he never considered looking for another woman. Now, he couldn't imagine living without her. He wanted to see her beautiful smile and hear her melodic voice everyday. He knew she'd settle his parents' divorce. He knew that she'd make sure that Jack wouldn't be disappointed and would do both Jack and Troy proud.

His fingers traced lightly down her arm and linked their fingers together. He turned to her and breathed out gently. He'd have to get up soon. He wanted to make Gabriella breakfast and then he had to get home, have a shower, see Kaden for at least a couple of minutes and then get to work. Then, he had to get through the day without Gabriella. _That_ was going to be hard. But, then again, that just meant he had to have lunch with her. Kaden, too. Spending the night apart from him had given him a _need_ to spend time with him. The only times they were apart for the night were when Troy was having a rough time. This was for a completely different reason. Besides, he wanted Kaden to be the first person to know about his new relationship.

He sighed and moved Gabriella's arm away from his stomach. She whined cutely in her sleep and rolled onto her back. He leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly. He removed his arm from her shoulders and then brushed some of her dark curls away from her face. He smiled to himself. "I love you," he whispered. He pushed the covers off and climbed off the bed. He pulled his boxers on and then left the bedroom, heading downstairs to the kitchen. He looked around himself and grinned. It was roughly half six and the sun was beginning its slow journey across the sky.

He began moving around the kitchen, discovering where Gabriella kept things. Once he was familiar with everything, he began cooking a simple breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. He looked down at his left hand and sighed. He still wore his wedding ring. He only took it off for surgery but when it wasn't there, it felt wrong somehow. However, after the night of showing the love he felt towards the new young lawyer of Albuquerque, it felt wrong, somehow, that it was there.

He shook his head and scooped the bacon onto the plate on the counter. Once that was done, he put two slices of bread into the toaster and leaned against the island as it cooked. His eyes drifted once again to the gold band and he twisted it thoughtfully around his finger. So much love and commitment had gone into that ring. But, now, another woman needed his love and commitment and he was more than willing to give it to her simply because she deserved it.

"Cowboy?" a voice whispered tiredly.

Jumping at the sound of the voice, he turned to the door. He smiled brightly at the sight of Gabriella. She was leaning against the doorframe, rubbing her eyes and wearing _his_ shirt. It bagged around her body, falling to the middle of her thighs, and made her look beautiful just like she always did. Her hair was tousled, falling graciously down her back. He moved over to her, wrapping her in his strong arms. "Baby," he murmured into her hair, "are you okay?"

She nodded as he pulled back. "Yeah. What are you doing down here?" she asked tiredly.

Troy picked her up and took her over to the island, setting her on the counter. He stood between her legs, his hands resting on the counter either side of her body, caging her in. "I'm making you breakfast."

She smiled at him, her arms winding around his neck. "That's so sweet. You didn't have to."

He kissed her sweetly on the lips. "I wanted to. Anyway, how are you feeling?"

She played with the hairs at the nape of his neck. "Absolutely wonderful. I feel amazing…and it's because of you. How are you feeling?"

He took a deep breath. "I feel…peaceful. Like everything will get better. And that's because of you." He nuzzled his nose against hers in an Eskimo's kiss. "I love you."

She smiled widely and felt the heat rise in her neck. "I love you, too."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. His arms wrapped around her waist as their torsos pressed together. Troy pulled back briefly to whisper, "Gabi," before reconnecting their lips. They were moving completely in sync with each other, just like they had been all night. That's what he wanted: someone to understand him and to know just what to say and do to make him happy. For Gabriella, all she had to do was smile at him.

The toaster suddenly popped the bread up and Gabriella giggled against Troy when he refused to let go of her. "Toaster," she muttered.

He frowned and kept his lips against hers. "Like this too much," he mumbled.

The giggles she made vibrated into his mouth and she eventually managed to pull back. "I'll get it, then."

He gasped and shook his head. "No," he said sternly. "I said I'm making you breakfast. Stay here." He kissed her nose before moving over to the counter. He took the toast out and began spreading the butter evenly over it.

"Where would I go? It's half six in the morning and I'm only wearing your shirt," she exclaimed.

Troy raised his eyebrows to himself as he put the toast on the plate. He picked up a knife and fork and took the plate over to place it on the counter next to her. He cut a piece of bacon off and picked it up on the fork to feed to Gabriella. "_Just_ my shirt?"

She frowned as she chewed and swallowed. "Don't get any ideas. I woke up alone and got worried."

"Just like I did earlier?" Troy whispered as he fed her another piece.

She nodded. "Yeah. But, I knew you didn't want to be alone so I really was worried. I checked the bathroom and you weren't there so I came down here."

He smiled and nodded, eating a piece of bacon himself. "Yeah. I needed to wake up. I mean, I've got to go home, shower, talk to Kaden for a while and then go to work."

She accepted a piece of toast and sighed. "When are we telling everybody?" she whispered.

Troy set the knife and fork down and sighed as he held her hands in his. "I don't know. I know you don't want to lie and that's okay. I want everyone to know you're mine. But, I want Kaden to be the first to know."

She nodded with understanding. "That's okay."

"You sure? Don't you want Sharpay to be the first to find out?" he asked slowly.

She shook her head. "No. As long as she hears it from me and not someone else…"

He chuckled and kissed her briefly. "Are you at the office today?"

She took a deep breath. "No. I don't have anything to do. I'm just waiting for the meeting with your father on Thursday. Then, I have the meeting with Meaghan and your father on Friday. So, I might go shopping today."

"Why?" Troy asked curiously.

She shrugged. "I'm a girl and I like to shop." She grinned.

He chuckled and leaned forward and kissed her neck gently. "Meet me at the diner at half one," he murmured into her skin. "If I have to go the whole day without you, I want to have lunch with you."

She kissed his head and pushed him back slightly. "Okay. Oh, and I promise I'm not going back to California."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Troy pulled his truck into Gabriella's driveway. Gabriella had called Sharpay, asking her to organise everyone to meet at the ranch in the evening. They'd had lunch together earlier and had told Kaden about their developed relationship. He'd been ecstatic about how Gabriella was making his daddy so happy. He'd asked if Gabriella would be around a lot more and Troy had allowed Gabriella to answer for herself. She'd nodded shyly, hoping that Troy wanted her around more. Kaden had looked up hopefully at Troy who had finally grinned and nodded, expressing how much he wanted Gabriella around. But, most importantly, Troy had assured Kaden that Gabriella wasn't replacing Ellie.

Kaden had accepted that. But, he asked the most obvious question a three year old could. He asked if Troy was going to marry Gabriella. Gabriella had looked away, not wanting Troy to say something he didn't want to. Troy had smiled to himself at her innocence. He had reached across and touched her hand. He didn't hold her hand…just touched it. But, he knew that the touch meant as much to Gabriella as the words that followed did. His eyes locked onto her, whispering his answer just loud enough for Kaden and Gabriella to hear. "Yes."

Gabriella had looked at him in shock, not expecting his answer. He felt the need to explain himself and continued, promising both Kaden and Gabriella that they'd be married one day and that Gabriella would be Kaden's mother. Despite how they were sitting in a booth in the diner and Kaden was present, Gabriella reached across the table to grab his shirt and pull him into a kiss.

Troy shook his head to himself as he climbed out of his truck. The rest of his day had been good, too. He hadn't had any fussy owners that wanted Troy to be a walking, talking animal encyclopaedia. He'd got through the day without being peed on and he saw a dog go back to her family healthily after being spayed. Everything was going great and if he knew his friends and family like he thought he did, things weren't going to end too soon.

He pushed the front door open and shut it behind him. He slipped his sneakers off and took a deep breath. The scent of Gabriella floated up his nose, flooding his entire body. His eyes fluttered shut, allowing his other senses to truly appreciate the scent that he was beginning to get addicted to. It was a mixture of Gabriella's sweet violet perfume and her strawberry shampoo. It was tantalising. Just inhaling her scent had him feeling weak and wanting to see her.

"Troy?" a familiar voice called. "Is that you?"

Troy snapped out of his trance and opened his eyes. "Yes, baby, it's me. Where are you?"

"I'm getting ready. I'll only be a minute," she replied.

Troy rolled his eyes as he started climbing the stairs. He pushed her bedroom door open and smiled to himself when he saw Gabriella sat at her vanity. She'd changed out of her jeans and t-shirt and had swapped for a more feminine pink floral strapless summer dress. Her hair was arranged in the curls that Troy preferred way more to her straightened locks. Their eyes connected in the mirror as she began putting some diamond stud earrings into her ears.

"Why did you change? You've already met everybody," he exclaimed.

She sighed. "I know. But, we're together now and I want them to know that I'm serious about it. Besides, I'm not some teenager that lives in jeans." Her eyes moved back to her reflection, checking her make up.

"Calm down," he said sternly. "You look beautiful."

She stood up and walked over to her closet. She opened it and took out a thin white jacket. "You would say that."

"Okay, I admit I'm biased," he said sheepishly.

She giggled as she pulled her jacket on before she reached for her small purse that she had packed earlier. "Seriously, what do you think?"

Troy smiled softly. "I think," he said slowly as he me moved towards her, "you want to torture me." He leaned down and kissed her softly, wrapping his arms around her waist. He walked backwards until he fell onto her bed, bringing her with him.

She giggled against him as she gripped his shoulders. She heard her cell phone start ringing and she pulled back. "I have to get that."

"If that is Sharpay, I will so kill her," Troy growled.

She rolled her eyes and opened her purse, taking out her cell phone. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the caller ID. She slid her phone up, holding it to her ear. "Mama," she cried as she rolled off of Troy, making him groan.

Maria chuckled into the phone. "Hola, mi hija. You sound happier than you did. You feeling better?"

Gabriella sat up and glanced at Troy who sat up, too, sliding his arm around her waist. "Much better."

"Who is he?" Maria asked.

Gabriella frowned. "Who is who?" she asked, playing dumb.

"The guy who is making you better," Maria explained. "Who is he?"

"Well, he's Jack's son," Gabriella replied quietly. "Yes, it could jeopardise his case but Jack will not let Troy leave me, especially for his case. The only reason he's getting divorced is because of Meaghan and if he thought that Troy would let me go because of him…Mom, we've talked it through, I promise."

Maria sighed. "Well, what's he like?"

Gabriella giggled. "He's twenty six, works part time on Jack's ranch and the rest of the time as a vet. He's got the sweetest three year old boy I've ever met."

"He's got a son?" Maria gasped.

She glanced at Troy who nodded. "Mom, he's widowed," she said quietly. "I'm the first girl he's looked at in three years."

"Your father wants to talk to him," Maria said quietly.

"Gabi, sweetheart?" Greg asked.

Gabriella turned to Troy and buried her face into his shoulder. "Daddy, leave him alone."

"Yes, but he could be like Austin," he exclaimed.

Gabriella sighed. "Thanks, Dad. I'd almost forgotten because of Troy. Thank you for pressing the reset button on that."

"Sorry. Are you sure he's not like him?" Greg pressed.

Gabriella sat up and sighed. "Daddy, Troy can't afford to get into something and then break it off because of his son. I promise."

"Just let me speak with him," Greg said softly.

Gabriella relented, allowing her father to talk to Troy. It wasn't so bad. Greg was merely explaining to Troy how he had seen what Austin had done to his only child and didn't want to see it again. He expressed his concern for her, how he missed her terribly ever since she left for New York. But, ultimately, he asked Troy if he truly loved Gabriella and if he would ever leave her. Troy had replied truthfully: that, although he'd never imagined falling in love again, he did and he wouldn't have it any other way. He also said that he'd already lost one woman because of unavoidable circumstances. Why would he let Gabriella go without a fight?

Troy slid Gabriella's phone shut and handed it to her. "He seems nice."

Gabriella giggled to herself. "My parents are worried about me, like I said. You know, with Austin and the baby and everything. They keep trying to get me to go back home." She lifted her head to look at Troy. "Not to stay. Just for a visit. But, I can't. There is no way in hell I'm just putting Jack's case on hold to go to California."

"Why don't you go? Surely there'll be a gap in the meetings and stuff… I'm sorry, I don't know how divorces work," he said softly, pressing his lips to her temple.

She smiled. "Neither does your dad," she whispered. "To be honest, it'll depend on the meeting on Friday and see if we can settle out of court. Jack really wants to. Well, he asked my opinion and I suggested that he settles because of how he feels about Meaghan. He doesn't want to win anything and he wants this over as soon as possible."

Troy nodded with understanding. "I suppose. I think you should go back to California when you get a break in all of this. Just for a weekend and to assure your parents that you are alright."

"But, I'll want you to come with me. I want them to meet you," she whispered. She stood up when Troy stayed silent. "Well, at the minute, it's all hypothetical because I don't know what's going to happen. Come on."

* * *

Troy pulled his truck to a stop and turned to Gabriella. "You ready?"

She nodded confidently. "Yes. But, come here," she whispered as she beckoned him closer with her finger.

Troy leaned closer, over the gear shift. "What?"

"Closer," Gabriella urged.

Troy leaned even closer so there were only a couple of centimetres between them. "What?"

Gabriella reached up to cup his cheek before she drew his face close and pressed her lips against his. She pulled back and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I had to get it out of my system before we go inside."

He chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Don't apologise. I'm not complaining. But, why did you kiss me?"

"I love you," she murmured. "After all of that drama in the big city, this is amazing. I love everything."

"But, mostly me," he finished cheekily.

She nodded shyly. "Yes. Mostly you. Are we going in or not?"

Troy jumped out of the truck and climbed over the bed of the truck to the other side. He pulled her door open and helped her down to the ground. "Fine. We're going in. Get ready for squeals. I mean, you know…three years."

She giggled and squeezed his hand as he locked the truck. "I know, I know. Please don't stand near Sharpay. She'll attack you, thanking you for helping me move on. Not forgetting Tay. Oh god! She'll go ballistic, telling me she told me so."

Troy laughed and began leading her towards Jack's house. "Hey, if I'm honest, they can squeal and shriek as much as they want as long as you're there."

She rolled her eyes. "Open the door. It's fine. Besides, I haven't seen Kaden since the fair."

He kissed her sweetly one last time before he opened the door. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her into the house, shutting the door behind them. He guided her into the living room and saw that everyone was already there. Kaden looked up from the toys he was playing with Naomi and grinned when he saw his father and Gabriella. He scrambled to his feet and ran over to hug Troy's legs. "Daddy!"

Everyone laughed and Troy picked him up to rest him on his hip. "Hey, champ. You okay?"

Kaden nodded. "Hi Gabi," he said excitedly.

She giggled and ran her hand through his blonde hair. "Hi Kaden."

Troy wrapped an arm around her waist. "Hey, guys. Thanks for coming."

Taylor smirked at Gabriella. "You two seem to be better," she commented.

Gabriella looked up at Troy, her chocolate eyes locking onto his blue ones. "Yeah, we are."

"So, why'd you call us all here?" Sharpay asked, sending Gabriella a knowing look.

Troy pulled Gabriella even closer to him. "Well, we both wanted to tell you that we're kind of together."

Jack immediately stood up and hugged Gabriella, catching her momentarily off guard. He pulled back and grinned down at her. "Thank you so much, Gabriella."

She frowned. "Huh? What? I haven't finished your case yet," she said in confusion.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking about being my lawyer. I'm thanking you for waking Troy up."

Troy groaned, adjusting Kaden on his hip. "Dad…"

"No," Jack said sternly before turning back to Gabriella. "You're just what he needed. He's even singing around the ranch. The only times he's been singing is when he puts Kaden to bed."

"Dad…" Troy moaned. "Really?"

Jack grinned. "Just because you're twenty six doesn't mean I can't embarrass you."

Michael stood up and frowned. "I don't understand something. Why did you go for Troy and not me?" he exclaimed to Gabriella.

"I told your brother on the first night we met: I don't go for younger guys. Sorry. What happened to the girl you took to the fair?" she asked. She raised an eyebrow when Michael blushed. "What happened?"

He shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Mikey has a girlfriend," Troy teased, ruffling his brother's hair.

"She's not my girlfriend," Michael muttered, swatting Troy's hand away.

"Troy said that about Gabriella," Zeke mumbled.

Troy glared at his friend. "Shut up. Does that matter?"

Gabriella looked at Jack and took a deep breath. "I'll discuss everything with you at our meeting, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay. That's fine."

Kaden wriggled out of Troy's hold and the older Bolton man turned to hold Gabriella even tighter. "So, who's up to a celebration?"

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I sent this to ZZ9PluralZAlpha but he hasn't got back to me but I wanted to uploaded to. So...TADA!!!**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Jack gulped down the remains of his coffee and stayed quiet for a moment to process the new information. "So, you're going to tell them so that it's less likely that they could put forward accusations to the reason you and Troy finally got your acts together," Jack summarised, taking the opportunity to tease Gabriella.

Gabriella gasped and threw her pencil at him. "Shut up. But, yes, that is the main reason. If we kept it a secret and they found out from the grapevine, they could accuse you of all sorts."

Jack set his mug down and nodded. "Okay. Am I still at risk of that? Not that I mind, I don't want you to break up or anything," he added hurriedly.

The young woman lowered her eyes to the mass of papers scattered on the wooden table. "Yes, you are. As long as Troy and I are together, you will always be at risk. Troy said that you'd never force us to break up and I appreciate that but studying Meaghan's opinion of you so far, it wouldn't surprise me that she would put it forward."

"So, what do we do if I am accused of things?" Jack asked.

"Then, we would have to put the divorce on hold and then fight the case in court. As it is, with my record, it's more likely the judge would favour for me. I mean, I've won all of my cases, I've got good feedback from all of my clients and I think it's pretty obvious that I would never fall for anything like that. As for you, firstly, you've got too much to risk. If you risked performing a stunt like that, then anything Meaghan asked for in the divorce would instantly be hers. However, the judge would take everything into consideration: your job, your sons, even your part in your relationship and how Meaghan is the one with ill feelings," Gabriella explained. "But, it most likely won't come down to that."

Jack nodded with understanding. "Okay. So, what about tomorrow?"

Gabriella looked over at him. "Hopefully we can settle. Basically, that means a series of meetings. We don't have to talk about custody which makes things a hell of a lot simpler. Don't tell people I said that. I'd lose my degree because of it. Anyway, we'll talk about possessions such as trucks, valuables, that sort of thing. We will definitely need to talk about the ranch. She might not ask about it but if she does, we'll sort that out then. The thing that's lucky on your part is that you have two adult sons. That means that if there are any disagreements over anything, we can write it off as Troy's and Michael's."

As Jack stood up to refill their coffee cups, Gabriella thought back over the last few days. Troy and Gabriella hadn't spent a single night apart. So that Troy wasn't away from Kaden, he had taken some toys and clothes over to Gabriella's house and Kaden had slept in the guest's room while Troy and Gabriella had, obviously, slept in Gabriella's room. They hadn't made love since the first night but had held each other while they slept. She'd enjoyed waking up to Troy. It had been different, somehow, to waking up to Austin. Troy had always woken up before her and cooked her breakfast in bed.

Kaden had loved the last few days. He'd viewed the whole thing as one big sleepover and the fact that both Troy and Gabriella were there made it even better. The previous night, Kaden had woken up, crying because of a nightmare. Gabriella had already been awake after needing the bathroom and, to save Troy waking up; she'd slipped quietly into the guest room and climbed into bed with Kaden, holding him close to her. He'd become quiet almost instantaneously and he'd fallen back to sleep once Gabriella had sung him an old Spanish lullaby. It was only when she'd felt two lips caressing her neck did she realise she'd fallen asleep, too.

It was while Troy and Gabriella were sitting at the island together, him just in boxers and her in his shirt, waiting for Kaden to wake up that a thought occurred to Gabriella. Was this what it was going to be like in the future? She liked it. She liked it a lot. She liked Albuquerque more than she ever thought possible. The only reason she'd gone to Albuquerque was that Kelsi was there and she got way more than she bargained for. She found a guy that understood everything she felt.

Troy had dropped her off at the ranch for the meeting with Jack. Kaden was happily playing in the den and they were in the kitchen. Jack had taken the day off work at East High but knew he would be able to go back for last period but doubted that he would. His mind was filled up with so many words of an alien language that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on basketball for even a second.

Jack placed a now full cup of coffee in front of her and took his seat next to her again. "Anything else we need to talk about?"

Gabriella breathed onto the hot coffee to cool it down. "How much does this ranch mean to you?"

Jack sipped his coffee carefully. "Gabi, this ranch started out as a field of crops my father owned. I was the one that made it into a farm and a job for some people. I help so many people because of it. I give people employment. People like Lucy. Troy gets happiness from the animals and Mike is always willing to help out. It's my life. Literally. I grew up here and made it into what it is today. Why?"

Gabriella sighed. "She might ask for it. But, if that's the case, I'll fight for it. I won't let her take it. I promise."

The older man nodded with appreciation. "I know you'll try your hardest."

She nodded and smiled sympathetically. "Jack, I know you still love her." She frowned at the uncertain expression on Jack's face. "Jack? What is it?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. I thought I did, and I think a part of me always will. But, not like I thought I did."

Gabriella stayed quiet as she drank her coffee, allowing a silence to envelope them both. Gabriella didn't know all that much about the older man but could relate to him. Despite her being over Austin, that didn't stop her heart break all over again whenever she thought about him. She couldn't help it. She loved Troy to death and she couldn't imagine her life without him. But, she couldn't help but sometimes think of her life if she hadn't lost her baby. It wasn't necessarily better but she was still curious as to whether Austin would've left her regardless.

But, it pointless playing the 'what if' game. It was pointless. She'd never know. But she'd given everything into her relationship with Austin and had had all of that taken away from her. She couldn't help but think about what she'd gone through with him. She closed her eyes and felt tears trickle down her cheeks but couldn't wipe them away. She hadn't frozen like this since Austin called her. But, after seeing Jack become confused as to how he felt about Meaghan, it just sent her thoughts reeling through how Austin had hurt her.

"Gabi," Jack said quietly.

She wanted to answer him. She wanted to tell him that everything would be okay. She wanted him to know how much Lucille cared for him. But, she couldn't. She couldn't open her mouth. She could only cry and slowly place her coffee cup onto the table through fear of spilling it. She wanted Troy. She wanted to feel his strong muscles ripple as he held her and feel his warm breath tickle her neck as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She wanted to feel his lips touch her skin and his hand caress her feet. He'd done that the previous night. She'd been complaining all day about how much her feet hurt from wearing some new shoes that hadn't broken in and, after Kaden was safely tucked up in bed, Gabriella had laid on the couch in Troy's shirt and he had sat with her feet in his lap while he massaged them, listening to her giggles when he brushed a particularly ticklish spot. Gabriella had, for the first time in a long time, had a glass of wine along with Troy, enjoying the serenity that encompassed them both.

"Gabi," Jack said a bit more forcefully and she felt a hand touch her arm.

Gabriella heard the door to the kitchen open and then soft footsteps. "Dad? How long as she been like that?" a familiar voice asked.

"A couple of minutes," Jack explained. "I don't know what's wrong."

Troy pulled a chair up next to his girlfriend, as close as he could get, and wrapped his arms around her. "Go and find Kaden. I don't want him to see her like this. Go." As soon as Jack left, Troy pressed his lips softly to her temple. "Gabi," he murmured.

She turned to him silently and wrapped her arms around him. She cried into his neck, feeling all of her thoughts and feelings about Austin evaporate. She concentrated on being with Troy. He was whispering quietly into her ear, just like she wanted. He was pressing gentle kisses to her neck, just like she wanted. His hands had slid beneath her white shirt to caress the skin of her bare back, just like she wanted.

"Gabi, come on. I'm here. You're safe. You're with me," he whispered.

Gabriella finally managed to nuzzle her nose into his neck and speak quietly. "I know," she whispered.

Troy pulled back and kissed her softly. He knew, just by feeling her body relax, that she was better. He pulled back and brushed some curls away from her face. "What happened?"

Gabriella suddenly frowned, trying to see through her hazed memory of the past few minutes. "I'm not sure. Jack and I were just talking. I explained everything to him and then he seemed uncertain about his feelings for your mother. It got me thinking. I swear I didn't mean to. You know I love you so much and I need you but you need to understand that he was the first guy I loved and so much happened in such a short space of time."

"Shhh…" Troy soothed her gently, running his thumb over her cheek. "It's okay. Listen, I've told you I still love Ellie and I understand if you still feel something for Austin. I'm not mad." He paused and then frowned. "You still love me more, right?"

She smiled and climbed onto his lap so she was straddling him. "Of course." She moved a hand to rest on his neck. "I don't love him but I feel something for him. With you, I know I love you." She lowered her head to his. "So much," she mumbled against his lips.

He tightened his arms around her waist as their tongues danced passionately together. He finally pulled back and looked up at her. "You okay now?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Are you staying again tonight?"

"If you want me to," he said softly, planting gentle kisses up and down her slender neck.

She sighed softly in pleasure. "Of course I do."

Troy pulled back and smiled up at her. "Do you think you can stand up so I can get some coffee?"

She rolled her eyes jokingly. "I don't know. What if I like this too much?"

He smirked up at her. "Then, I suppose I'll have to force you. Baby, seriously, it's not that I'm not enjoying you sitting on my lap, but I need some coffee."

Gabriella reluctantly slid off of him and allowed him to stand up and walk over to the fridge to get a carton of milk. He walked back over to the coffee maker and set the milk down. He reached to open the cupboard to get a mug down and Gabriella found her eyes drawn to his behind. She bit her lip and slowly tilted her head to the side to admire him from a different angle. Even looking at him on the side was satisfying. She honestly couldn't believe he was all hers.

"You know," Troy started without turning around, "instead of staring at my butt, you could come over here and, you know, hug me…or kiss me…"

She smiled to herself and wandered over to him to wrap her arms around him from behind. Her cheek was pressed against his back and she slid her hands beneath his shirt to touch his well defined chest. "How did you know I was looking at you?"

"I'm a dad. Eyes in the back of my head, baby," he explained.

She moved one of her hands from his chest to run through his hair. "I see no eyes!" she protested.

Troy chuckled as he turned in her arms, making her break contact with his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up onto the counter so they were at similar heights. Gabriella moved her arms to his neck and he smiled at her. "You'll learn how to do it. Trust me. You're smart and you want to be a mom."

She rested her forehead on his, allowing her eyes to flutter shut. "I love you so much, Cowboy," she whispered.

The corners of his mouth twitched up as his eyes closed. "I love you too, Baby." He leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers, tightening his arms around her waist so their torsos were pushed up against each other. He felt her hands slide down his back until her hands were safely in the back pockets of his jeans. Their tongues moved slowly together, savouring their moment of silence.

Gabriella finally pulled back and sighed gently, looking away. "Troy?"

Troy brushed her hair from her cheek with one hand. "What is it?"

She closed her eyes and took on an expression of almost agony. "It hurts. Everyday, I wake up and wonder why you chose me."

"There wasn't that much competition," he mumbled as a joke.

Her eyes flung open and she glared. "Shut up. Seriously. When I wake up, for one brief second, it's like I'm back in New York, still with Austin. Nothing happened. I can't help but think about it. I go to the park with you and Kaden, drive to work, pick you up from work, go to the grocery store…Go wherever I want in this place. And I'm terrified he'll come along and ruin my life all over again. I'm terrified that you'll leave me." Tears trickled elegantly over her cheeks.

Troy didn't know what to do. He knew she loved him. He knew he loved her. He knew he loved Ellie. He knew she still felt something for Austin. He knew he thought about Ellie. He knew she thought about Austin. Maybe that was it. When Ellie came into his mind, more often than not and way more often than he'd like, he only saw her die. When Gabriella thought about Austin, she probably just saw him leave that hospital, leaving her alone in the hospital bed.

He wanted to know what to say to make her better. He wanted to know how to reassure her. He wanted to stop her crying.

But he couldn't.

He didn't know what to do, so he pulled her closer and allowed her to cry into his shoulder.

* * *

The following morning, Gabriella walked down the stairs of her house, dressed for her meeting with Meaghan and her attorney in a smart white blouse, a grey business skirt, a matching grey jacket and a pair of grey man-eater heels, giving her a few more inches. Her mass of dark curls had been tamed into a neat bun, completing her appearance. She heard the playful banter of Troy and Kaden floating from the kitchen, causing a smile to pull at her lips. Since the episode the previous day, Troy had not allowed Gabriella leave his sight for one second. She'd finally relaxed whilst watching TV with Troy and Kaden. Troy had noticed too, but had not stopped worrying.

Although Gabriella had stopped worrying about Austin, she was now worrying about the meeting. She feared that Jack would lose the ranch. She only started truly showing it after Kaden was asleep. Troy had comforted her, lying on the couch, holding her in his arms and pressing chaste, comforting kisses to her lips. It wasn't long before the kisses became less about comfort and more about the want to be intimate with one another again. Soon, clothes had been shed and they were making love on the couch. Afterward, with Gabriella lying on top of Troy with her head resting on his muscular chest, she giggled tiredly, stating that she'd never be able to sit on her couch ever again.

She looked down the hall and saw Troy and Kaden colouring in some pictures. She smiled to herself, not quite ready to enter the kitchen just yet. She wondered if he'd like her appearance as a lawyer or if he'd prefer her as she usually dressed. She didn't care. She had him and he had her.

After they'd made love, they'd gotten dressed for bed – his boxers for Troy and Troy's shirt for Gabriella – in case Kaden woke up in the middle of the night. They'd gone upstairs and climbed into bed together, falling asleep almost instantly with Gabriella curled around Troy, using his chest as a pillow, an arm draped over his stomach and his arm wrapped around her shoulders. They'd woken up, had breakfast together, and then Kaden had woken up. Gabriella prepared his breakfast while Troy went to get dressed. When Troy had returned in his usual jeans and shirt, Gabriella had gone to get dressed. They had arranged for Troy to drive to the ranch to drop off Kaden to be watched by Lucille. Then, he'd drive to the surgery and Jack would drive himself and Gabriella to Meaghan's attorney's office.

She walked slowly into the kitchen and kissed Kaden's forehead in greeting and then moved to stand behind Troy, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Hey, Troy. How are you?" She kissed his cheek and rested her chin on his shoulder.

He held up the notepad that he'd been drawing on. "I'm good. What do you think?"

Gabriella frowned. "Is that a cat?"

"It's supposed to be you," he cried.

"Oh," Gabriella murmured. "It's lovely." She reached for the notebook and ripped the page from it. "I'll put it on my refrigerator."

Troy raised his eyebrows and turned to her. "You don't have to. You said it yourself: I'm terrible at art."

She nodded. "Maybe. But, you drew it." She kissed his lips chastely before unwrapping herself from him and moving to the refrigerator. She turned back around to see Troy smiling at her. She shrugged self consciously. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Troy!" she protested.

He sighed. "I was thinking how you look different."

She sat down next to him. "I should. I've never dressed like I do for work. I mean real work. Do you like it?"

Troy rested his hand on her knee under the table. He turned to Kaden. "K, go and watch some TV, okay?"

"Okay," he said happily before he toddled into the living room.

Troy turned back to his girlfriend. "How often can you dress like this?"

"Whenever I want. Why?" she asked.

"I like it," he murmured as he leaned closer to kiss her. "How did you get your hair into a bun that small?"

She shrugged sheepishly. "I just do."

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "You'll do great."

* * *

Troy walked into Jack's house and dropped his work bag by the door. "Dad? You back yet?"

Michael emerged from the lounge with Kaden. "He's in the kitchen. He came back with Gabriella. They've been kind of quiet."

"Well, what did they say?" Troy asked.

Michael shrugged. "The meeting went on forever. I was home before them. I told Lucy to go home so I've been looking after Kaden."

Troy took his son off his brother. "Hi, K. You okay?"

Kaden nodded. "We were playing basketball."

"Wow, that's cool," Troy gushed. He turned back to Michael. "So, you haven't spoken to them?"

Michael shook his head. "No. You know how Dad is. I figured he'd talk when he was ready."

"What about Gabi? Where is she?" Troy asked frantically.

Michael shrugged. "I thought she was in the kitchen."

Troy kissed Kaden's forehead. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Kaden nodded. "Is Grandpa okay?"

Troy nodded. "He will be. You stay with Uncle Mike." He handed Kaden back over to Michael. "Are you okay to watch him?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah. Go and see if they're okay."

Troy walked slowly into the kitchen to see Jack sat at the wooden table, still in his suit with a cup of coffee in front of him. "Dad?" he asked quietly.

Jack blinked once and continued to stare ahead. "Hi Troy. How are you?"

"Who cares?" Troy exclaimed. "What's wrong? Where's Gabi?"

"We came back and she said she needed to be alone. I think she should tell you how it went," he mumbled.

"But, where…" he trailed off, suddenly pretty sure where his girlfriend had gone. He bolted through the back door and sprinted across the yard towards the tree. As predicted, the 'do not disturb' sign was hanging on the wooden ladder. He ignored it and began scrambling up the tree. He hoisted himself onto the wooden ledge. He paused in the doorway. Gabriella was curled up in the corner, using a beanbag as a pillow and hugging her knees to her chest. Her blouse had been taken out of her skirt and the top button was undone. Her bun wasn't as neat, either, with a few strands framing her face but not in the way he liked. Her face…Her beautiful face was streaked with tears and make up.

Something was wrong.

He fell to his knees and crawled into the house. He lay in front of her, resting his head on the beanbag next to hers. He rested a hand on her waist and noticed how she flinched. He frowned. She never flinched when he touched her. Not even when she was sleeping. Whatever made her flinch seemed to have gone as she snuggled closer to him and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

He needed her to be awake. He needed to know what was wrong. He twisted his head around hers and pressed kisses to her throat. He felt her tense in her arms and she suddenly let out a cry, pushing him away. "What?" he exclaimed in confusion.

"Get away from me," she whimpered.

He reached towards her and touched her arm. "Gabi, baby, it's me, it's Troy. What's wrong?"

She sniffed and opened her eyes. "Troy?" she whispered before she flung her eyes around his neck. "Oh, my god, I'm so sorry."

Troy wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her close. "Hey, hey, it's okay."

"I dreamt about Austin. I thought we were back together but I didn't want to be, I want you," she rambled frantically.

"Shhh…" Troy soothed. "It's okay. I promise." He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. "Now, what's wrong?"

She settled next to him but kept her arms around him. "Troy, Meaghan wants the ranch," she whispered.

"What?" Troy gasped. "She can't do that…can she?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. She can. Everything was put into her name once your dad married her, meaning she's part owner."

Troy nodded slowly. "Okay…What happened once you told them about us?"

Gabriella shrugged. "Nothing much, Meghan said that she didn't think Jack had the guts to do anything sinister like using our relationship to his advantage so that wasn't important." She took a deep breath. "I don't think I should be your father's lawyer."

"What?" Troy exclaimed. "Why?"

She shrugged as tears dripped down her cheeks. "Troy, he's your father! If I lose the ranch…I don't want to be the reason that happens. I just…I think it's better if he finds someone else."

"But…Gabi, I don't understand. Why do you think you'd lose?" Troy asked. "I thought you'd never lost a case."

She sniffed. "I haven't. But, what if I do?"

"Hey, come on. Dad won't mind. He'll know you'll have tried your best. Don't quit on him. He doesn't need the pressure of finding a good new lawyer on such short notice." He kissed her cheek. "Can I cheer you up?"

Gabriella pulled back a little. "I'm not really in the mood and I don't fancy doing it in a tree house that could collapse at any minute."

He chuckled. "As much as I'd love to make love to you right this second, I didn't mean that. Come on."

They descended the tree and when they were safely on the ground; Gabriella clung to his arm as they walked towards his truck. Troy reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a tie. "I want you to put this on."

"You keep a tie in your glove compartment?" she asked slowly as he reached across the gear shift to tie the piece of material behind her head so it covered her eyes. "Please tell me you have other ones in your bedroom?" She felt around her seat until she managed to click her seatbelt in place.

Troy clicked his own seatbelt in place and chuckled. "Yeah, I do. I just keep that one in the glove compartment because…well, I don't know. I'm pretty sure it started in my senior year when Ellie and I went to dinner and afterward, we… Yeah, never mind." He started the ignition.

Gabriella nodded once. "Well, I could probably have lived my entire life without knowing that."

Troy drove easily through the familiar streets of Albuquerque. "I didn't ask: Can you settle out of court?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. We can settle. I'm just…Do you honestly believe I can do it?"

Troy reached over to rest a hand on her knee. "I believe you can do anything." He squeezed her knee and drew invisible patterns on her skin using his pointer finger.

"Really?" she asked sceptically.

Troy chuckled. "Really, really."

She settled into her seat. He knew she wasn't completely satisfied with the situation but he was positive she felt a little better. She had agreed to continue with it and that meant everything to Troy. She rested her hand over his, linking their fingers together. She leaned back in her seat and was happy to allow Troy to drive them wherever they were going and feel his skin touch hers.

Troy pulled the truck to a stop. He unfastened his seatbelt and leaned across the gear shift to kiss her gently. "You trust me, right?"

Gabriella nodded. "Of course."

"Good." Troy jumped out of his truck and climbed over the bed of it to the other side. He pulled Gabriella's door open, seeing that she'd managed to unfasten her seatbelt by herself. He gripped her hands tightly and helped her down to the ground. He locked his truck and then held both of her hands again. He kissed her forehead.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"You'll find out soon," he murmured. He began walking backwards, guiding her towards the door of the building that was familiar to him. He let go of her hands briefly to unlock and open the front door and then turned back to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her over the step.

"Hey!" she squealed.

He set her down and began leading her down the hall. "I saw your attempt at hopping. I thought it was best if I just lifted you."

"Can I see yet?" she whined.

He chuckled and turned them into a room. "Not yet. Stay here." He kissed her gently and then left the room.

"Where am I going to go? The White House?" she yelled sarcastically. She sighed and folded her arms, afraid to move in case she bumped into something. She didn't need any injuries. She needed Troy. "Troy?"

"I'm coming," Troy called. He entered the room again and, after a moment, wrapped her in his arms. He kissed her nose. "Are you ready for your surprise?"

She nodded excitedly. "Yeah."

Troy kissed her softly and at the same time reached behind her head to untie his tie. He stowed the material in his jeans pocket and his arms returned to her waist as he slowly walked forward until she was pushed up against a wall. He trailed kisses down her neck but successfully kept his body in front of her line of view.

"Troy, honey," she mumbled into his shoulder.

He sighed and straightened up to look down on her. "You want your surprise?"

She nodded. "Yeah. And don't distract me with kisses this time."

He smirked. "So it worked?"

"For a minute. It wasn't your best," she mumbled teasingly. She pouted. "Please?" The sound of a cat meowing suddenly caught her attention. "Why do I hear a cat?"

"Well," Troy started, "that's your surprise." He stepped to the side, allowing Gabriella to see Troy's consultation room and the examination table…where a snow white cat was sitting on the table, licking its paw.

Gabriella smiled widely and stepped forward, running her fingers through the cat's thick fur. The cat stopped licking its paw and leaned into Gabriella's hand and began to purr. "You're beautiful, aren't you?"

"You like her?" Troy asked anxiously.

Gabriella nodded in wonder and continued to fuss over the cat. "Like her? She's…amazing. What's she called?"

"Well…she doesn't have a name," Troy said as he wrapped his arms around Gabriella from behind.

"What?" Gabriella turned to him in shock.

"She's a stray. Someone ran her over in the street. They brought her straight here. There's a bald patch and stitches in her stomach that need to come out in a week. But they were allergic to cats, they couldn't keep her. But they were kind enough to pay the bills. She's still nameless. I've fully examined her, given her vaccinations and did the surgery. She had internal bleeding," Troy explained.

"Will she be okay?" Gabriella asked turning back to the cat.

Troy nodded. "Yeah. She'll be fine. She just needs some TLC, a new home, a caring owner…maybe a gorgeous Latina with a heck of a brilliant boyfriend who can fix everything."

Gabriella turned to him, momentarily taking her hand away from the cat. "What?"

"I know you wanted a cat when you were with Austin and I wondered if you wanted her. I've filled out the form for the home interview. I knew all the answers. I mean, if you don't, that's totally fine because-" Troy was cut off when Gabriella launched herself at him and crashed her lips onto his.

She pulled back, looking at him happily. "I'd love to have her. Truly."

"I would've told you sooner but we've got to keep strays in here for two weeks, as a kind of quarantine, so to speak," Troy explained softly as he set her on the ground. "I'll go and get the paperwork. You think of a name, okay?" He kissed her chastely and then left her in the consultation room.

She stepped closer to the cat and began fussing her again. "I'm so lucky to have him, aren't I? I bet he's been treating you good. He makes me feel like everything will be okay, even when I'm positive it won't be." The cat began to purr again, moving her head so that Gabriella began to scratch her chin. "Do you like that, girl? Hmmm…Calling you Snowy seems too cliché considering the colour of your fur." Tears gathered in her eyes. "You're lucky you came here and he looked after you. Maybe that's it…Lucky. What do you think of that?" The cat meowed happily. "I'll take that as a yes."

Troy returned with some paperwork and smiled at Gabriella. He pulled open a drawer in his desk and pulled out a pen. He set the forms on the examination table and began filling them in. "You decided on a name?"

"What do you think of Lucky?" she asked softly.

He glanced up at her. "I like it."

Gabriella looked over at his desk and saw two pictures. One was of Kaden when he was a newborn. Gabriella realised that he had always been beautiful. The other one of Ellie wrapped up in a think coat, scarf, gloves and a hat, surrounded by snow. She looked happy. Gabriella supposed that it had been taken a little before they were married; she didn't look too old. Her gut was telling her to be jealous; to ask him why she wasn't on his desk. But, she didn't feel a hint of jealousy or anger. Whether it was because she knew how much Ellie meant to him or he had just given her a cat, she didn't know. But, she knew one thing: when they moved in together, something that seemed inevitable in the moment, she wanted pictures of Ellie around the place. She didn't want him to think he had to wait until she was at work or asleep for him to look at pictures.

Of course, he had warned her about his 'bad days' and was still anticipating one. She had a feeling that despite how good she made him feel, he'd still want to be alone some days. She just hoped he'd talk to her. She didn't want to be kept in the dark about anything. Especially his feelings about Ellie and the past.

He followed her gaze and moved to his desk to flip the picture down so they couldn't see it anymore. "Sorry about that. It's been there ever since I've worked here. It used to be on the desk in my bedroom."

Gabriella frowned. "Why'd you do that?"

"You were looking at it," he muttered as he turned the forms around for Gabriella to read them. He handed the pen to her. "Signature and date it, please?"

Gabriella took the pen and frowned as she signed on the dotted line and quickly scribbled the date. She fussed Lucky's head and sighed. "I didn't mean you had to put it away," she exclaimed. She stepped towards his desk and picked the picture up. "She was very beautiful," she commented.

Troy gathered the forms up and nodded. "Yeah. She was."

She set the photo down and stood in front of him, placing her hands on his chest. "You don't think I was asking you to say I'm more beautiful, do you?"

He frowned. "No."

"Well, I don't," she whispered. "If I'm honest, I don't care if she was beautiful or not. I know you love her so much. You know I'm okay with it. I want this picture on your desk."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Okay. I need a picture of you there, too."

She smiled up at him. "I honestly don't mind. Honestly." She confirmed her point with a kiss to his cheek.

"That's all I get?" he whined. "I bring you here after hours to give you a cat and I get a kiss on the cheek?"

She sighed dramatically. "Well, I mean…okay." She leaned on her tiptoes and kisses him gently, moving her lips against his.

He suddenly pulled back when he felt Lucky nudging his arm. He chuckled. "Looks like someone wants some attention."

Gabriella kept staring at him. "Thank you," she whispered. "For everything. And I'll continue with your dad's case. What's the worst that could happen?"

He rested his forehead on hers and kissed her gently. "You'll be great."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I hope you like it. I'm working on 'Love Is Forever' while doing philosophy homework lol.#**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Gabriella slammed on the brakes and leapt out of her car, locking it only as an afterthought. She sprinted towards Troy's house, a million different thoughts colliding inside of her mind. Had Kaden hurt himself? Had _Troy_ hurt himself? Troy had been anything but informative on the phone. His voice had sounded the same – not in pain and not filled with worry – so, he was either trying not to panic her or she was wrong. All he'd said was that he needed her. She hoped that if, God forbid, Kaden was hurt, Troy would just get in his truck and break every single traffic law in Albuquerque and call her when Kaden was being treated and he'd be needing her.

The previous night had been truly awful. Gabriella had had to stay at home because of Lucky but Troy felt Kaden needed to spend a night at the ranch while he was there, too, which Gabriella found understandable. It had been hard to fall asleep without Troy holding her, running his gentle hands up and down her arms, pressing kisses to her forehead, nose, cheek, neck, lips. The craving for his touch she'd had throughout the night had made he have little sleep. However, the fact that she was of course wearing one of his shirts and had Lucky curled nearby and helped calm it a little…only a little.

So, she hadn't had much sleep. Troy hadn't helped things by calling her up while she was getting ready, telling her that he needed her at the ranch right away. She was planning to spend the entire day with her boyfriend and Kaden as it was Saturday and neither of them had work planned. After the drama the previous day with Meaghan, she just wanted to relax with Troy and, hopefully, have dinner with him and make love to him at some point. Her craving for him was stronger than she'd originally thought.

But, something had happened that made him need her. It confused her a bit. Usually, she was the one that needed him but now the roles had reversed and now she was needed! She felt a strange pang of excitement. She really shouldn't be excited but she couldn't help it. She wanted Troy to need her the way she needed him. She wanted him to open up to her about whatever was on his mind. Sure, he'd told her about his first time making love to Ellie and he'd told her about Ellie's death and the tragic events that followed. But that was it. She guessed he didn't want her to feel that he loved Ellie more than he loved her. She honestly didn't care one stinking bit as long as he loved her, too.

She yanked open the front door and slammed it shut. "Cowboy?" she called frantically. She dashed into the lounge to see Troy stood in his jeans, shirt, sneakers and denim jacket. He was holding Kaden on his hip, looking intently at a picture of him and Ellie on the mantel.

He turned to her. "Thanks for coming over."

Gabriella threw her keys onto the coffee table. "Are you going somewhere?"

He handed Kaden to Gabriella. "Yeah. I am. I'll see you later." He headed for the door.

Gabriella set Kaden on the ground and rushed after him. "Where are you…" she trailed off when the door slammed shut. "Gone," she muttered. "He didn't even kiss me." She sighed and walked back into the lounge. She shrugged her jacket off and threw it onto the couch. She crouched down in front of Kaden who was still in his _Cars_ pyjamas. "Hey, Kaden," she murmured.

"Hi, Gabi," he whispered. "Is Daddy okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. He's fine."

"I don't like it when he's like this." He bowed his head, looking at his feet.

Gabriella stroked his arm gently. "Me neither. So, I guess it's just us two today. We'll have a complete fun-filled day. We'll eat ice cream for breakfast, go to the park and do whatever you want to do. Have you had breakfast yet?"

Kaden shook his head. "No. Daddy woke me up and said you were coming over. Usually he takes me to Auntie Kelsi and Uncle Jason's but he said you were coming over."

"Shall we have ice cream for breakfast?" Gabriella asked.

"Daddy says I'm not allowed," he muttered.

"But, he's not here. Besides, ice cream makes me feel better when I'm upset." She straightened up and held her hand out for him. "Come on." She led him into the kitchen and lifted him onto a chair. She moved to the freezer and opened the door. She turned to Kaden. "Vanilla, strawberry or chocolate?"

"Ummmm…Chocolate!" he exclaimed happily.

Gabriella began preparing two bowls of chocolate ice cream with whipped cream, chocolate drops and sprinkles. As she sat next to Kaden and began tucking into her ice cream, she wondered if this was what Troy felt like when she had frozen for the first time. Helpless. Lost. Alone. Scared. All she wanted was to know where he was going. She wanted to know that he was safe, that he'd come back to her arms.

After Gabriella had washed the dishes, she had taken Kaden upstairs and got him dressed without much help from him. It was clear to her that Troy's bad days affected his son just as much, if not more, as himself. Gabriella had suggested many activities but the only one he seemed happy with was colouring in. It didn't bother her; she wanted him to be happy. She just wanted to make sure he was occupied. They were sat on the floor in the lounge, colouring books and crayons surrounding them. _Cars_ was on the TV in the background and he kept glancing at the screen every so often.

"Do you want to go to the park later?" Gabriella asked quietly as she drew a sketch of Troy's head. She wasn't one to be big-headed but had to admit that it was good.

"Maybe," he mumbled as he continued scribbling on the pad of paper in front of him.

"We could invite Naomi if you want," she offered.

He shook his head. "I want Daddy to come back."

She sighed. "So do I."

"Do you love Daddy?" he asked sweetly.

She looked at him in shock. He'd never asked her questions about her relationship with his father. Whenever he'd been curious, he'd always asked Troy. "I love him with all of my heart."

"Does he not love Mommy anymore?" he asked innocently.

Gabriella frowned. "What brought this on?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to know. He told me that he'd always love Mommy."

"Well, then, he will. Your mother will always be remembered. She won't be forgotten and she'll always be loved," Gabriella whispered.

"Do you think she was nice?" Kaden suddenly dropped his crayon and looked directly at Gabriella.

Gabriella placed her pencil down and held her arms open, allowing Kaden to crawl into them and sit in her lap. "I'm positive she was really, really nice. I think she was really clever, too."

"She was pretty," Kaden said happily. "Like you. Daddy says I look like her."

Gabriella smiled. "You do."

"When is Daddy coming back?" he asked.

Gabriella brushed his blonde bangs from his forehead. "I don't know but I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you."

He smiled and planted a wet kiss on her cheek. "Good." He turned to the pad of paper that Gabriella was using and picked it up. "You drew Daddy."

Gabriella nodded. "I did."

"It's very good. You're better at drawing than me and Daddy. Why did you draw him?" he asked quietly.

"I love him," she whispered. "I want him to see how handsome I think he is."

"Am I handsome?" he asked cheekily.

Gabriella giggled. "You are very handsome. Naomi is very lucky."

"Can we put our pyjamas on? I just want to stay inside," Kaden murmured.

Gabriella sighed and nodded. "Yeah. You go on upstairs, okay?"

He kissed her cheek and nodded. "Okay," he called over his shoulder as he toddled away.

Gabriella stood up and pulled her cell phone from her pocket. She slid it up and pressed speed dial number one. She held it to her ear and waited to see if he would pick up. She doubted it. She suddenly frowned. She could hear a phone ringing in the living room. She slowly turned around, allowing her eyes to take in the room. She turned to the couch and held her cell phone between her ear and shoulder as she began digging around the cushion. She found the ringing object and pulled out Troy's cell phone. She rolled her eyes and slid her phone down, effectively hanging up. "That's helpful," she muttered.

She dropped both phones onto the couch and headed upstairs. She helped Kaden into his pyjamas and then left him in his room while she quickly changed into one of Troy's shirts. She went back into Kaden's room and smiled when she saw him hugging his Wah-Wah bear. "Is that your favourite bear?"

Kaden nodded. "Daddy says it was Mommy's." He looked up and frowned at what she was wearing. "Why do you wear Daddy's shirts to bed?"

Gabriella sat next to him and wrapped an arm around him. "They're really soft and smell like him. It's like he's always hugging me. When I wear one of your daddy's shirts, I never have bad dreams. You'll understand someday."

Kaden frowned and wrinkled his nose. "I don't get grown-ups. They do weird stuff. Naomi will never wear my clothes."

_Give it ten years_. "Well, call us crazy."

* * *

Later that night, after watching a couple of movies and ordering pizza for dinner, Gabriella and Kaden had retreated upstairs to Troy's room. She supposed they should've gone to the guestroom; she didn't know how Troy would react to her being in the room he'd once shared with Ellie. However, she still hadn't heard anything from him and needed to smell him. She had perched her glasses on her nose and read Kaden a bedtime story. When she was certain he was asleep, she had started reading her own book…until she'd fallen asleep.

It was kind of nice. She'd felt very maternal all day. Kaden had been so dependant on her because Troy had gone. She had Kaden cuddled up to her, they were both surrounded by the fluffy quilt that smelt so gloriously of Troy…the only thing that would make it better would be if Troy was actually there. When he came back, she didn't know if she would slap him or kiss him. She felt anger because of how he had simply left her standing there, responsible for Kaden, without calling her or telling her where he was going. She'd kiss him…How could she not? She was so worried, she would just kiss him with relief. She wanted him back in her arms, knowing he was safe.

She felt Kaden's body disappear and she struggled to open her eyes. "Kaden?" she murmured sleepily.

"Shh…" a familiar voice soothed and she felt two lips on her forehead.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him with her bleary vision. "Troy?" She saw him leaning over her, a sleeping Kaden resting on his hips

He slipped the book from her hands and set it on the bedside table. "Stay here. I'll be back."

Gabriella took her glasses off, realising she'd fallen asleep with them on and her book spread open on her chest. She sat up, rubbing her eyes to clear them of any haze. She sighed and climbed out of bed, going over to the closet where she had hung up her clothes. It was possible that Troy still wanted to be alone and she didn't want to intrude. She figured Troy would come to her when he was ready. She pulled Troy's shirt from her body and began dressing in her own clothes.

Troy returned when she had pulled her bra on and was fastening her jeans up. "Gabi? Where are you going?"

She pulled her shirt on and turned to him. "Home. I'm guessing you still want to be alone and that's fine. I don't want to intrude."

"But, I want to talk to you," he whispered.

She shrugged as she slipped her shoes on. "What do you want to talk about? How bad it felt to watch you walk away? How scary it was to not know you were safe? Troy, I just wanted a text to say you were okay. I found your phone. It was down in the couch."

He nodded. "I know. I just wanted to talk about us."

She looked unconvinced. "Look, I'm really tired and I need a shower…Maybe we can talk tomorrow." She stepped forward and kissed his cheek before she walked past him.

Troy spun around and followed her. "Gabi, please. I'm sorry."

She nodded as she reached the lounge. She turned to him and smiled. "I know. But, you scared me. If I'm honest, I don't want to talk about us. I want to talk about Ellie. You've told me about her death and how your first time making love was like…nothing else. I've told you everything about Austin and me. You keep thinking I'll be insulted but it's not like that." She sighed when Troy stayed silent. "I probably shouldn't have said that but it's true."

"Please don't go, I need you," he whispered.

"The last time you said that, you walked away," she murmured. "I'm sorry about going in your room. I needed to be close to you."

He shrugged. "It's fine."

Tears gathered in her eyes. "I don't want to be pushed away. I love you and want to be the first person you go to when you've got something on your mind."

He nodded. "I know." He reached out to her and stroked her cheek. "If you stay for five minutes and hear me out, you can leave if you still want to."

"I don't mean break up," she protested. "I just mean to give us some space tonight."

Troy smiled. "I know. Come with me." He pulled her through the house and stopped by the hall closet to take his guitar out before pulling her out to the back porch. He gestured to a wooden rocking chair. "Sit down?"

Gabriella sat down cautiously. "Troy, please don't sing to me. I just want to-"

He held a hand up. "Just listen to me." He pulled the strap of the guitar around his body and sighed. "I left this morning because I was talking to Ellie about you. She comes back to me as my conscience. I was saying how I was worried about you and my dad's case. I don't want you to get stressed about this. She said the only way you won't get stressed is by me simply loving you and making sure you know that no matter what happens, I always will."

Tears rolled over her cheeks. "It makes no sense. You leaving, I mean. You should've been able to tell me that without disappearing to god-knows-where."

He nodded. "I know that. I left because I needed to talk to her more. I wanted to ask her so many questions but, I already knew the answers. I mean, she's my conscience, right? I wanted to know if you were hurt because of her picture and my tie in the glove compartment…It sounds stupid, I know. I just can't help it."

Gabriella stayed quiet, allowing him to explain everything.

"She told me that you understood right from the start that I can't forget. She said that if you're worth keeping, you won't expect me to," he said softly.

She shook her head. "I don't."

He smiled gently. "I know. She told me to warn you that I'm not perfect."

"Really?" she asked sarcastically as she wiped her tears. "Here I was thinking you could walk on water."

"I'm serious," he whispered as he knelt in front of her and held her hands. "I'm a terrible boyfriend. I always wondered why Ellie chose me and now I'm wondering why you chose me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. But, I won't remember your birthday or our anniversary. I can do Christmas but it's celebrated all over the world on the same day. Our bedroom will never be tidy. When there's basketball, football or wrestling on TV, I might as well be deaf! I'm terrible, really. Stop laughing."

She shrugged. "I think I can cope."

He smiled. "You're okay with it?"

She nodded. "I'm already in love with you, you can't get rid of me that easily."

He grinned. "Good. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah. Why did you bring your guitar out here?" she asked in confusion.

He brought one knee up and rested the guitar on it. "I sing _Everyday_ by Rascal Flatts every night to Kaden. That's why it took me a few minutes to get back to you after putting him to bed. He woke up so I sang to him. So, I'm going to sing to you."

_The strands in your eyes that colour them wonderful  
Stop me and steal my breath  
Emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky  
never revealing their depth _

Gabriella felt her heart swell at the love she heard in his voice. His voice…His voice that had only ever spoken words of care towards her was beautiful. Whatever she'd been expecting, it wasn't that. She couldn't imagine him having an album that got to number one on Billboard's charts, though. He struggled to reach a few of the big notes that inevitably came with Edwin McCain's beautiful song and his guitar playing wasn't perfect, either. However, it was like their souls were connected through their eyes. Although she heard his singing, she could also feel the honesty behind the lyrics as he sang them.

_Tell me that we belong together  
Dress it up with the trappings of love  
I'll be captivated  
I'll hang from your lips  
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above _

She briefly wondered if he'd ever sang to Ellie. It didn't matter, she was just curious, but she guessed that he had. She knew, from the look in his eyes, that he hadn't sung this song and she was happy with that. With the moon and stars glowing down on them, Gabriella sat in an old rocking chair and Troy knelt on one knee, singing to her, she knew she'd never forget anything about that moment.

_I'll be your crying shoulder  
I'll be your love suicide  
and I'll be better when I'm older  
I'll be the greatest fan of your life_

He set his guitar off to the side and held her hands. "I won't remember birthdays and anniversaries but I will always be your biggest fan simply because you exist."

"Troy," she whispered.

"I know, I know, I scared you today and I'm sorry. I mean, even with how happy I am with you, I don't know if I'll ever be able to go without days by myself," he exclaimed.

She placed a finger over his lips. "Troy," she said more forcefully, "I love you. That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Troy gasped as her hand fell from his mouth. "I almost forgot." He brought an envelope from his back pocket. "I never stopped thinking about you. I hope you like it."

Gabriella took the envelope tentatively and opened the flap. She emptied the contents: three tickets to something and a charm bracelet. She inspected the tickets first, a gasp escaping her lips as soon as her brain processed the words. "What?"

"I know you want me to meet your parents. I figured we could go up there between meetings. They're all booked. If it's okay with you, we leave Monday lunchtime," he explained. "Four days, three nights."

"Troy," she exclaimed. "That's…Wow. That's amazing. I was expecting to go after Jack's case was closed. This is wonderful. They'll be so excited."

He grinned. "I'm glad you're happy with it."

Gabriella turned to the bracelet. "What's this?" It had two charms on it: a horse and a heart. On closer inspection, the letters IMTF were engraved on the horse's body and TB on the heart in a fancy script-like font. She frowned and looked at him. "I get the TB but…"

He smiled and took the bracelet off her. He clasped it around her wrist and linked their fingers together. "I knew today would be hard on you and so I felt like I owed you something. So, when I was in Santa Fe, I found a jewellery store that did engraving for free. I got my initials on the heart because I'll always be with you in your heart, no matter what happens in the future. I got the horse because that was our first date."

She giggled. "Yeah, it was."

"The letters stand for in my thoughts forever. I never stop thinking about you. Not for one second. When I went to Santa Fe, I kept wondering how you were coping but I couldn't bring myself to come back," he whispered.

"Santa Fe? Wow. I assumed you'd just gone to Ellie's grave or something."

He shook his head. "I never go there alone. I mean, I did in the beginning but I don't want Kaden to think of it as a place of loneliness but of remembrance."

Gabriella looked down at her tickets and flung her arms around his neck. "I love you so much," she whimpered. "The next time you have a bad day, please send me a text."

He nodded against her neck. "Of course."

Gabriella pulled back and bit her lip. She wanted him. After spending the previous night without him and then the entire day, adding in the surprises he'd given her, she wanted him badly. She needed him. She was suddenly glad that she had left food, water and a lit tray for Lucky earlier in the morning because she was certain, whether they made love or not, she wasn't leaving Troy's house tonight.

Troy nodded. "Okay," he murmured as he pressed a kiss to her lips. He gathered her into his arms like a bride and carried her into the kitchen, pulling the door shut behind him. He took the tickets off of her and placed them on the island. She turned the kitchen light off for him and then turned to him, immediately connecting their lips as he carried her upstairs to the bedroom.

"I understand if you want to use the guestroom," she whispered into his ear.

He shook his head. "It's fine."

Their lovemaking was still gentle but there was a passionate urgency behind it, as if making love in the room he'd once shared with Troy was affecting their usual slow act of love. Afterward, Troy kissed her sweetly and then rolled away. She understood why. They had just made love in the same bed he'd made love with Ellie in and they were surrounded by pictures of her. She kissed his shoulder. "Goodnight Troy," she whispered before she rolled away to leave him with his thoughts. Lying naked with Troy beneath the thin sheets after making love was more than satisfying for her craving. Her common sense was telling her to put on some clothes in case Kaden needed someone but she didn't. She wanted to feel his naked body close to hers.

She woke up an hour later to the feeling of two arms wrapped around her from behind. She felt warm breath on her shoulders and instantly knew that Troy was holding her. Her eyes fluttered open and she immediately saw that all of the pictures of Ellie had been taken down except for one of their wedding day on the bedside cabinet on Troy's side. She rolled over to him and kissed his forehead. "Cowboy?"

He tightened his arms around her. "What?"

"You're awake?" she asked in relief.

He opened his eyes and smiled sleepily at her. "Yeah. What's up?"

"You took the pictures down…" she murmured.

"It's not about Ellie. I took them down for me. It's about you now. I took them down because she doesn't have to be everywhere anymore. I've got you," he murmured.

She kissed him gently. "Do you promise to tell me everything?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I promise."

She ran her hand down his arm. "Kaden was great today."

Troy nodded. "He usually is. I know he doesn't like it when I disappear."

"He's not the only one," she whispered.

He stroked her cheek. "I know." He leaned closer and kissed her gently, knowing that he had to try not to have bad days. He couldn't push her away.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Wow. Long chapter. I'm sorry but I had so much for this part of the stry but I didn't want it spread over two chaps lol. Anyway, hope you like it :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Gabriella turned to Troy as they waited for their luggage. "Troy, I should warn you, my parents and I..."

Troy sighed and picked Kaden up. "Kaden, behave. I know it was a long flight. You can sleep when we get to Gabriella's parents, okay?" He turned to Gabriella. "What about you and your parents?"

She took her hand away from his arm and shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tight against his body. "Gabi," he said softly.

Gabriella blushed and looked around. "Troy," she whispered.

"Listen to me," he said sternly. "I'm sorry. I know I'm still making it up for going to Santa Fe and talking like that just now surely didn't help me get off the hook. But, listen, you know it was a long flight, it was delayed to begin with and...hmmmmm..."

Gabriella pulled back from their kiss. "It's fine. Give me Kaden. Come on, Sweetie," she murmured as she took Kaden into her arms. "Do you like playing football?"

Kaden nodded sleepily. "Yeah. I play it with Daddy and Uncle Mike and sometimes Grandpa."

She smiled. "Well, you'll like my daddy. When we get to my parents' house, you'll have a nap then you can play football with my daddy and my mommy might bake some cookies."

"Really?" he asked happily.

She kissed his forehead. "Yeah. I promise. Now behave," she said sternly as she set him on the floor and gripped his hand. "Now, enough about you being on a hook. I forgave you." She kissed him chastely.

Troy frowned. "Oh man! This is so messed up."

"It's just California, not the rainforest," Gabriella exclaimed.

"Not that," Troy dismissed. "How I've messed everything up." He reached for Gabriella's suitcase and turned back to her. The bags from the flight, which mostly contained Kaden's toys, were already hanging from their shoulders. "How come you could settle him and I can't?"

Gabriella raised her eyebrows and placed a hand on his chest. "Because you're reading way too deeply into what happened. I told you I'm okay with it. I promise."

"Honestly?" he asked, just to be careful.

She smiled reassuringly. "I promise. Oh, there's your bag."

Troy set it on the floor and turned back to her. "What were you saying about you and your parents?"

She held his hand. "We have some...traditions. They might seem, well, they are, kind of odd."

"Do you enjoy them?" Troy asked.

"Well, yes. I love them," she whispered.

"Well, then, I do, too," he decided.

She pulled him towards her. "We play liar's poker after dinner."

He looked her in the eye. "Are you any good?"

"Are you kidding?" she exclaimed. "My dad sometimes wins but I'm convinced he cheats."

"How can you cheat at liar's poker?" Troy asked.

She shrugged and picked her suitcase up. "He'd find a way. Come on."

Troy picked his suitcase up and wrapped his free arm around her waist. "Remind me why we needed two suitcases. We could've fit all of this into one."

"You'll understand when you meet my dad," Gabriella replied, guiding Kaden through the crowds.

"Explain why that doesn't make me feel any better," he muttered.

"He'll love you, if only because I do. Come on." She giggled and scanned the crowd until she spotted a middle aged Spanish couple anxiously searching the crowds. She suddenly grinned and began rushing towards them. As soon as she left the condensed centre of the crowd, she dropped her suitcase and let go of Kaden before rushing towards the couple. "Daddy!" she yelled as she jumped into Greg's arms.

Greg patted his daughter's back. "Oh, mi hija, we've missed you so much." He pulled back to admire his daughter dressed in a blue floral summer dress with a thin white cotton cardigan draped over her shoulders. "You look amazing."

Gabriella giggled. "Thank you. I feel it, too. Now behave, okay? Oh, Troy!" she exclaimed as she turned around to see Troy carrying both suitcases and Kaden was hanging from his back. "Oh, my god!" She ran towards him and took Kaden from his back, resting him on her hip. "I'm so sorry, Troy. I'm just excited to see my parents."

He nodded slowly. "I know you are. You haven't stopped talking about them and it's understandable. It's okay."

She smiled and looped her arm through his as they headed back towards Greg and Maria. "Mama, Daddy, I'd like to introduce Troy and Kaden Bolton. Troy, Kaden, this is my mom, Maria, and my dad, Greg."

Troy set the suitcases down and shook Greg's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I've heard a lot about you."

"Really?" Greg asked. "What have you heard?"

"You're a fan of the giants," Troy said.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Okay, before you two start arguing about Jets and Giants-"

Greg gasped. "You're with a Jets man?"

Gabriella nodded slowly. "I hate to break it to you but my life doesn't revolve around football. Can we just get home, we're all pretty tired."

* * *

"You never told me you lived on the beach," Troy protested as he set the suitcases at the bottom of the stairs.

Gabriella took his hand and led him and Kaden into the lounge. "Because it's not the beach to me. It's my front yard."

Troy rolled his eyes. "You could've said something."

Gabriella set Kaden on the sofa and knelt next to his head. "You try and get some sleep, okay?"

He nodded sleepily. "Okay," he whispered as he shut his eyes.

Gabriella stood up and walked over to where Troy was staring at the pictures lining the mantel. "Don't look at them. They're terrible."

"I didn't know you had braces," he teased.

Gabriella breathed out gently. "I tried to put that behind me."

"You look beautiful," he said sincerely, bringing her into his arms.

She struggled in his hold and finally stepped away. "Not when my parents are near. They'll be here in a minute."

"Let me get this straight: I can't even touch you?" he exclaimed.

She shrugged. "Maybe, just not while they're around," she murmured.

Greg and Maria walked through the front door and Greg greeted them both with a smile. "Well, we have your rooms made up. Gabriella, sweetie, you'll be in your old one, of course. It hasn't been touched. And Troy, you'll be in the guest room with Kaden. Is he okay on an air mattress?"

"Of course," Troy said sincerely.

"Daddy, I'm going to show Troy our rooms. Can you watch Kaden? Hopefully he's settled for a while. He was a bit restless on the flight. Mama, I promised him you'd bake some cookies and that he could play some football with you, Daddy," she explained.

Maria nodded. "That sounds okay."

"Leave the door open," Greg said sternly.

Gabriella sighed. "Yes, Daddy." She kissed his cheek and then began leading Troy up the stairs. "Urgh. He's so annoying." She pushed the first door on the right open to reveal a small room that was taken up mainly by the bed, closet and the bookshelf that was overflowing with books. She blushed when she saw his raised eyebrows. "I was a boring teenager." She fell onto the bed and stared at her ceiling.

Troy stood awkwardly in the doorway. "It's not too bad."

She looked over at him. "Are you going to stand there or are you going to kiss me?"

Troy frowned. "Your dad..."

She shrugged. "The door's open."

Troy smiled and climbed onto the bed with her. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her temple. "You know your Dad is just trying to protect you, right?"

"I'm twenty-four," she whined into his neck.

"Yes, but that doesn't stop him from seeing his little girl every time you walk into the room. I mean, I don't know if I'll ever stop seeing Kaden as the little boy who always colours in," he explained.

"I bet he'll love you for saying that at his wedding," she murmured.

He sighed. "Just show them how better you are without Austin."

* * *

Gabriella yelled out victoriously as she gathered all of the quarters from the middle of the table. "I told you, Daddy. I'm always going to win."

"You cheated," he muttered.

"Nuh-uh," she protested. "You always try, and fail, to cheat."

Troy turned to Maria. "Are they always like this?"

Maria nodded. "Yeah. They are. They're both convinced the other cheats."

Troy smiled as he watched Gabriella count her winnings. Kaden was in the lounge, watching TV and they had just finished the fourth game of liar's poker. Since they'd first arrived, both Greg and Gabriella had relaxed and Gabriella had helped Maria prepare dinner while Greg played football with Troy and Kaden. After dinner, just as Gabriella explained, they had played liar's poker. He'd never seen his girlfriend more relaxed, clearly not thinking about Austin for even a second. She was happy, confident and relaxed. Although, he did regret dropping Spanish in high school to concentrate on science because while Gabriella had been explaining about her time in Albuquerque at dinner, with a hand on Troy's knee under the table, she became too excited and began speaking Spanish. He'd had to tell her to speak English so that himself and Kaden could understand.

He stood up. "Gabi, come on."

She looked up in bewilderment. "Where are we going?"

"If it's okay with you and your parents, a walk on the beach. I'm sure they can watch Kaden for half an hour," he explained.

"But, I want to play again," she whined.

Troy sighed. "We can play later."

Gabriella frowned, making her look incredibly cute to Troy. "But," she started.

"Gabriella, go with Troy. He's our guest. You don't want him to sit around, playing poker. Go on," Maria said softly.

Gabriella looked up at Troy's raised eyebrows and stood up. "Okay." She kissed her parents goodbye and then they went into the lounge to kiss Kaden goodbye. They headed out of the house and onto the beach. Troy slung his arm around her neck as hers snaked around his waist as she felt the sand squelch beneath her bare feet. "So, how are you liking California?"

He looked down at her. "I can see why you like it."

"I miss it sometimes," she confessed. "Would you move up here if I wanted you to?"

He frowned. "Do you?"

"Troy," she whispered.

He kissed her head. "Of course I would. I'm not letting you go that easily."

"It was hypothetical. I won't make you leave Albuquerque." She smiled reassuringly up at him.

He nodded slowly. "Thank you. Do you ever want to move back to New York?"

She shrugged and stepped away from him to walk closer to the ocean's waves. "Sometimes," she confessed. "I don't regret moving to Albuquerque, you know I don't. But, I miss the shopping there, I'll admit that."

Troy wrapped his arms around her from behind. "You'd tell me if you ever want to go back, right?"

"I don't want to. I miss the shopping, sure, but what else is there?" she whispered.

"I'd be there," he murmured as they watched the setting sun together.

She stroked his forearms absentmindedly. "Do you think..."

"What do I think?" Troy asked, nudging her cheek with his nose.

She released a gentle sigh. "Do you think my baby's with Ellie?"

"I'm sure of it," Troy whispered. "And Ellie will be looking after your baby and will be telling it how incredible you are so when you die and go to heaven, your baby will be right there, waiting for you."

Gabriella smiled faintly. "It sounds crazy because I never even saw my baby, but I miss it."

"I know," he murmured.

"This beach is practically my entire life. I mean, I've lived here my entire life. When I was a little girl, I used to sit on the porch steps with my mom and dad and watch the stars, clouds and fireworks on the fourth of July. But, this was the beach where my first boyfriend dumped me on the night of our sophomore Spring Fling." She turned in his arms and smiled up at the young man that had stolen her heart. "But, that's why I need some new memories."

He smiled down at her. "What did you have in mind?"

She turned to the left and grinned. "I was planning to go over to that high school boys' volleyball team and ask if any of them are interested in a lawyer. See you later," she said as she twisted out of his arms and started slowly walking towards the volleyball game.

Troy rushed after her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He picked her up and spun her around, listening her gleeful shrieks and giggles. "Fat chance," he exclaimed. He set her down and turned her around to look at her. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"

"Hey, I went to Columbia!" she defended.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered her away from the volleyball game. "Has anyone asked you to dance on this beach?"

"Ummm...no, why?" she asked curiously.

"Has anyone said they love you here?" he replied with his own question.

"No. Troy, where are you going with this?" she asked between giggles.

Troy looked around a little bit and saw a picnic bench to their left. He lifted her fingers to his lips and then jogged over to the bench. He climbed up onto it and turned to her, a grin pulling at his lips. "Hey Silicon Valley. Guess what?" he hollered.

Gabriella rushed over to him and climbed up to him. "Troy," she hissed, "what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" he asked. "Gabriella Montez is the perfect woman and I'm in love with her," he yelled.

Gabriella blushed profusely and grabbed his shirt to hide her face in his chest. "Troy," she whined.

He pulled back and lifted her head to his, kissing her softly in the soft glow of the sunset. Their tongues began to dance sensually together as she tightened her grip on his shirt. He broke their kiss and smiled when he saw her look of pure serenity on her face. When she opened her chocolate eyes, he kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I'm making more good memories for you."

She smiled gently. "That's sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

He jumped down from the table and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist to lift her down. "Well, I want you to be happy. So," he paused to pull her close to him and started swaying with her on the beach, "I'm trying to make it happen."

Tears welled in her eyes and she smiled up at his handsome face. "I love you so much. But, what I love the most is that even when you screw up, you can't change my mind." She kissed his chin and pressed her cheek to his as they swayed slowly together.

* * *

Maria sighed as she and Greg washed and dried the dirty dishes; Greg was washing and Maria was drying. She placed a dried plate on the counter and turned to her husband. "So, be honest, what do you think of Troy?"

"Well, he's too old for her, it's too much of a responsibility for her and- Ow!" he yelped when she slapped him with her dish cloth. He frowned and turned to the sink that was full of dirty dishes, water and bubbles. "Okay," he muttered in defeat. "He's perfect for her. He's protective, funny, honest and Kaden is doing her the world of good. Is that what you want to hear?"

Maria kissed his cheek. "Yes. Honey, I know she's our little girl but she's in safe hands. Did you see the way he was looking at her? It's the way you look at me," she whispered. "And Kaden is giving her the responsibility and confidence she needs. Did you see them together? And Troy...Face it, he's everything she needs. And, he needs her, too."

He passed her a plate and sighed. "You're right."

"Well, duh!" she exclaimed as she placed the plate on the island. "I mean, Greg, Honey, just give him a chance."

He sighed and handed her the last plate. "Fine. But, not for him. For you." He dried his hand on a spare dish cloth and leaned against the counter. "I'll talk to him when they come back."

"Daddy!" a voice exclaimed excitedly.

"Here's your chance," Maria murmured as she placed the last plate and dish cloth on the island.

Greg walked with Maria to the lounge where they saw Gabriella embracing Kaden tightly in her arms. She stood up, picking him up in the process. She rested him on her hip as she turned to Troy and kissed him chastely. Greg cleared his throat and Gabriella and Troy turned to her parents. "Hey, Sweetheart," Greg murmured.

Gabriella set Kaden on the floor. "What's up?"

"Troy," he started, "come with me." He headed into the hall and gestured for Troy to follow.

"Daddy!" Gabriella exclaimed.

Greg turned to her. "Don't worry. I'll be nice. I promise."

Gabriella turned to Troy. "He won't hurt you." She kissed him gently.

Troy nodded and smiled as he followed Greg down the hall and into a side room that seemed to be his office. It was a small room that was taken up mostly by his desk and two bookshelves either side. One was filled with books, the other filled with picture frames. Behind his desk hung many pictures of Maria and Gabriella at different stages of her life. "Wow," he murmured. "That's..."

"Your girlfriend," Greg finished. "Maria and I met in college and I proposed after a year. After a day with her, I couldn't imagine life without her. So, we got married when we graduated and bought this very house."

"It's a nice home," Troy commented sincerely.

"Thank you," Greg replied. "So, within our first year of marriage, I hoped and prayed for a son. That's all I thought about. I wanted someone to take fishing, play football with, you know. What you and Kaden do, I expect. When Maria fell pregnant about three months after our year anniversary, I was so excited. I thought it was finally happening. So, we were in the delivery room and Maria was holding my hand. The nurse walked back in with a pink blanket and my entire life changed." He walked over to sit at his desk while Troy continued to stare at the pictures above Greg's head.

"I can only imagine. When Kaden was born, my life changed but in a completely different way to yours, I expect," Troy said.

Greg nodded. "Yes. Gabriella has told us about your loss. I'm sorry."

Troy shrugged. "I've got Gabriella now and I've still got Ellie in my heart."

Greg paused for a moment. "When I first held her in my arms...Oh, it was such a magnificent moment. I'd always thought that Maria would be the centre of my world with our children second. But," he laughed quietly to himself, "she's everything to me. She's got me wrapped around her little finger and she knows it."

Troy smiled gently at the older man. "She has that effect on people. Or, should I say, she has that effect on me. I saw her at a party, a little get-together at my dad's house. She was so beautiful and charming and great with Kaden. That's all I could ever ask for. Then, she told me everything. She became upset one day at the ranch and she just..." He fell quiet, looking intently at the ground. "She made me feel peaceful. For three years, I never knew what to do because I felt alone despite my friends and family. But, then she came along and proved that there are other people who feel like I did.

"When she told me all that happened in New York, I wanted to get there. I wanted to find him and kill him, I still do. The only reason I haven't is because she doesn't want me to. I just...I didn't even know her that well when she told me. But, I got so mad...Does it sound crazy that even though I've only known your daughter for a short while, I can't imagine my future without her?" he asked Greg, turning to him.

Greg leaned back in his chair, studying the younger man carefully. "No. I don't know you that well and I'm still not convinced that Gabriella does, either. But, I know her. The way she looks at you...She never looked at Austin like that, not once. And I've seen the way you look at her. I know what you're thinking. Just because I'm old doesn't mean that I'm stupid."

"Of course not," Troy exclaimed.

Greg smiled tiredly. It seemed to Troy that the realisation of how true his daughters love for Troy was had exhausted him greatly. "I disagreed with her engagement with Austin right from the start but I went with it. I could tell she was happy. But, I personally think that she was caught up in the moment and the big city. Now, though, she's...I can't even describe it. Now she just screams that she's ecstatic. You know, she never stops talking about you on the phone."

Troy smiled slightly. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah. It's quite annoying, actually," Greg chuckled. "My point is, after all she's been through, she's finally found someone who needs her as much as, if not more, as she needs him. And that means more to me than the Giants winning a game. That's why, when you're ready, and when she's settled your parents' case, you can ask her to marry you."

Troy choked on the air he just breathed in. "What? I don't want to marry her!" he exclaimed. He watched Greg raise his eyebrows and muttered, "Yet."

Greg smiled across at him. "I'm not saying now this saying. I'm saying that when you want to, you can. You have my permission."

Troy frowned. "But," he paused when he saw Greg's look, "how'd you know I was thinking that?"

"I've been married for twenty six years. I know how it felt. You look at her and you picture her with your baby in her arms, in your situation, holding Kaden, walking down the aisle towards you and then you're together when your hair is turning grey. And it's time for her to stop being my baby girl," he muttered.

Troy turned to the pictures, seeing Gabriella in all of them at various ages. In one, she had glasses and braces and was playing a violin. In another, she was dancing in the sprinklers with Greg. He picked one up and looked down at the beauty smiling up at him in her blue graduation cap, from before she suffered so badly. "It doesn't seem fair, does it?" he asked.

"What, Troy?" Greg asked, not quite understanding him.

"She's the nicest, most considerate, smartest person I've ever met, maybe even more so than Ellie, but she was deprived of so much. That's why I'm so adamant to be with her. I love her more than I ever thought I could when I heard she was moving to Albuquerque. And I want her happy." He sighed as he replaced the picture. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "Your permission means a lot to me."

Greg stood up and shook his hand. "I know you're different from Austin and I want to thank you for making her feel this way. It's refreshing. Maria and I have been so worried ever since she left New York."

Troy smiled. "I know. She's told me every time you phoned her. I won't let anything happen to her, I swear. I'll do everything in my power to keep her safe."

* * *

Later that night, after everyone was asleep, Gabriella knocked quietly on the guest bedroom's door. "Troy," she hissed. She was wearing one of his shirts and in bear feet, desperately hoping that Greg wouldn't wake up. It was so frustrating. Troy wouldn't tell her what he and Greg had discussed and, even though she was persistent, he had simply kissed her outside of the guestroom and disappeared inside to prepare himself and Kaden for bed. And, to make things worse, she couldn't sleep because Troy wasn't there with her.

"Troy," she hissed again and slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open. She slipped through the door and shut it gently behind her. She looked over and smiled at the sight. Kaden was in the corner, on the air mattress, sleeping peacefully and hugging his Wah-Wah bear to his tiny body. She turned to the main bed and felt her heart skip a beat. Troy was lying on his back and had pushed the covers away slightly so she could see that he was wearing a wife beater and some plaid boxers. She knelt next to the head of the bed. She stroked his hair gently. "Troy, honey," she murmured.

He groaned and rolled towards her but otherwise remained asleep.

She sighed. "Troy," she whispered and kissed his cheek.

Troy jolted awake and sat up, shocking Gabriella. "Gabi? Oh, god, Kaden! Where's Kaden?"

Gabriella pushed Troy back down. "Calm down," she whispered. "You'll wake everyone up. He's fine."

Troy groaned and rubbed his face with his hand. "Gabi, baby, what are you doing here?"

Gabriella pouted and crouched back down. "I can't sleep," she whined.

He opened his eyes and smiled across at her. He reached over to stroke her face. "What would your father think, Miss Montez?"

She frowned. "Well, they know I'm not irresponsible enough to make love to you while your three year old son is in the room...or that my parents are in the same house. I just want you to hold me." Her pitiful face had Troy's last strand of willpower crumbling.

He smiled tiredly and took his hand away from her face to reach for the covers. He held them open and gestured with his eyes to the space there, indicating that she was supposed to be there. "Come on, then, baby."

She smiled and climbed in next to him, immediately pressing an eager kiss to his lips. She settled into his arms and Troy wrapped the covers around them both. "Thank you," she murmured sleepily.

He held her protectively against his body. "It's okay. You don't have to thank me. I'm not going to refuse a chance to hold my girl, am I?"

She giggled and tilted her head to look at him. She stroked his cheek gently moving her thumb over his skin, feeling the slight stubble that was there. "I love you," she whispered.

He smiled and held her hand that was against his cheek. He moved it so he could kiss her knuckles. He dropped her hand and leaned down to kiss her. "I," kiss, "love," kiss, "you," kiss, "too." He connected their lips in a sweet kiss and then allowed Gabriella to rest her head on his chest.

"I wish I could make love to you," she murmured.

Troy smiled into the darkness. "Me too."

She ran her hand under his wife beater to feel his muscles. "What were you and my dad talking about?" she asked quietly.

Troy sighed and ran his fingers lightly up and down her arm. "Gabi, it was nothing, okay? He's just happy for us."

She sighed in defeat. "You're not going to tell me."

"No, I'm not," he replied softly.

She was silent for a moment, content with playing with his chest. "Troy?"

"Gabi," he replied teasingly.

"What would you say if I told you I was pregnant?" she asked innocently.

Troy froze his movements and looked down at her, a frown creasing his forehead. "Are you?"

She giggled. "No, of course not. I was curious. I mean, because of the miscarriage and Ellie, I wondered what you'd say to me."

Troy breathed out gently and shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't dwell on it. I don't mean I want you or our hypothetical baby to die, obviously. I just...I can't dwell on it. Ellie's pregnancy was wonderful and I wouldn't ruin the one we had together with worry over something that might not happen."

She smiled up at him. "I like the thought of being pregnant because of you."

"Yeah? It'll happen one day, I promise," Troy said sincerely.

She smiled up at him. "Thank you."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Okay, I've been on vacation but I'm back. Only three chapters, though. I've had homework to do. Anyway, enjoy :)**

**Don't own HSM x

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Gabriella walked carefully back to the wooden picnic bench with the two cups of coffee with Taylor walking steadily beside her with the other two. "No, it was great. I loved it."

"I thought you said your dad wasn't one to easily accept guys?" Taylor asked in confusion as the two women set down the beverages for Sharpay and Kelsi. They had all met up in the park and Gabriella and Taylor had just bought drinks for them all from a burger van. Kaden and Naomi were busy playing on the play area a few yards away. It seemed almost natural for Gabriella to be glancing worriedly in Kaden's direction every so often.

Gabriella sat down next to Sharpay and Taylor sat opposite, next to Kelsi. "He was. I don't know why he suddenly accepted Troy. He was a little reluctant when we arrived but then he took Troy into his office to talk and suddenly they were best buddies." She sipped her coffee and shrugged.

"Well, what did they talk about?" Kelsi asked.

Gabriella sighed, setting her cup down. "Not a clue. On the first night, I snuck into the guestroom to be with Troy because I couldn't sleep. I asked him what they were talking about but he wouldn't tell me. I mean, I can't see it's anything bad, I'd just like to know what they said to each other."

Sharpay eyed her carefully. "Are you and Troy okay since he went to Santa Fe?"

Gabriella smiled giddily and nodded excitedly. "We're great. We've never been better. You know, when we first got together, he seemed unsure of what to do sometimes. Like, when we first made love together, he was so worried that I didn't enjoy because he hadn't made love to a girl in three years. But, now, he's telling me everything about Ellie which is what I wanted all along. Now I think about it, it happened after my dad talked to him. Hey, I'm not complaining."

It was true. She was so happy now that their relationship was more relaxed. Since the first night in California, Gabriella hadn't bothered to sneak around because Greg had already guessed and teased her about it. So, every night, she simply climbed into Troy's bed so that he could hold her, no questions asked. When they arrived back in Albuquerque, they had immediately gone to the ranch to greet Jack, Michael and Lucille. After Troy and Kaden had unpacked they had gone over to Gabriella's together. Gabriella had immediately greeted Lucky who had been looked after by Taylor while she was away. They had all been pretty tired and Troy and Kaden had stayed the night. Even in Gabriella's and Troy's tired state from the flight, they had made love in her bedroom. For the first time, Troy finally seemed sure of himself while gently loving his girlfriend. He had held her tightly to his body and she had clung to him, feeling overwhelmed by the love and passion he was showing her. He had moved above her slowly with a rhythm they had both memorised. It was a night she'd always remember.

"Well, maybe your dad realised that Troy couldn't be in a relationship just for the hell of it because of Kaden," Kelsi offered.

Gabriella shrugged. "Maybe. Like I said: I'm not complaining." She turned to Taylor. "Thank you for looking after Lucky."

Taylor dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "Don't even think about it. But, I should tell you that Meaghan's attorney phoned. He's unable to continue with the case. A family emergency occurred. But, he has recommended a replacement attorney for Meaghan."

Gabriella nodded. "That's fine. Do we know where this attorney's from?"

Taylor thought about it. "I'm pretty sure he mentioned New York."

"Great," Gabriella muttered sarcastically. "Oh well. What are the chances? New York's a big place."

"Exactly," Sharpay agreed.

Kelsi sipped her coffee and pulled a face. "I didn't realise how much I depended on caffeine. You guys are so lucky. Tay, Gabi, I don't know how you coped."

"Well, I never really finished mine," Gabriella commented.

Taylor shrugged. "Chad took all of the coffee out of our house. So, I couldn't."

"How's Jase dealing with morning sickness?" Sharpay asked.

Kelsi groaned. "Don't even start. You know that Jase is like a rock. He'll wake up and say 'you weren't sick this morning'. Well duh! You were asleep."

Taylor laughed. "When I was pregnant, Chad stirred at the slightest change in my breathing. He'd wake me up, checking if I was okay. I mean, it was sweet to begin with but it was pretty frustrating."

Gabriella smiled and glanced over at Kaden, her smile suddenly falling. Impossible. She was still tired from the flight and her eyes were playing tricks on her. That's all it was. The tall figure at the other side of the park couldn't be...No. Of course not. "Guys?" she said, finishing her coffee. "I'm going to take Kaden home."

"What?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella sighed. She couldn't tell them what she thought. They'd laugh. "Troy's shift finishes soon. He'll want to see Kaden. See you guys later."

* * *

Gabriella smiled gently as Kaden ran his toy trucks back and forth on the carpet of the den, narrowly missing her bare feet. She reached across to the coffee table and picked up her second cup of coffee and took a long gulp. Since she'd woken up, she'd had four cups of coffee and it was only just past lunchtime. She wasn't one to drink that much coffee in such a short space of time but she couldn't get the figure out of her mind. Her first two had been normal for her: one as soon as she'd woken up with Troy and her second at roughly half nine in the park with the other girls. But, she'd gone back to Troy's and prepared lunch for her and Kaden and placed some salad and sandwiches in the fridge for Troy. After that coffee, Kaden had begun playing by himself with his toys and she had made another one.

She couldn't tell Troy. That was definitely out. Although she'd never kept anything from him before and didn't plan to start it as a habit, he couldn't know. It probably wasn't even him. She was still tired from the flight and the previous night with Troy and her mind was playing tricks on her. But, she knew she couldn't even tell Troy about what she _thought_ she'd seen. He'd go mental and drive around Albuquerque until he either killed him or was convinced he wasn't in Albuquerque.

But, then again, if he was actually in Albuquerque and Troy found out through sources other than herself...She involuntarily shivered. It wasn't that Troy was particularly angry, in fact, he'd only ever showed affection to her. But, she knew his opinion of her situation.

She suddenly felt Kaden poke her jean-clad leg. "What is it, sweetie?" she asked softly, setting her coffee on the coffee table. She was sat on the floor, leaning against the couch with her knees pulled up to her chest. She'd dressed simply in a pair of skinny jeans and a white camisole. But, now, all she wanted was to curl up in Troy's bed, wearing Troy's shirt and feeling Troy's body pressed against hers.

Kaden picked up his truck, a smaller version of Troy's. "Do you think this is like Daddy's?"

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"Are you okay?" he asked sweetly, crawling up next to her.

She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close to her. Now that her emotions were running haywire after the park, her protectiveness was running higher than ever. She kissed his head and felt tears well in her eyes. He wasn't Troy. But he was the closest thing she had. "I'm fine. What about you?"

"I'm good," he said happily. "Your mommy and daddy were nice."

Gabriella giggled. "Thank you. They loved you. I know we visited so that I could see them and introduce your daddy to them but you were the star of the trip. You're the closest thing they've had to a grandchild."

"Are they my gran and grandpa?" he asked sweetly.

She smiled slightly. "I'd like to think so. I hope I'm around long enough for you to call them that and they won't mind. But, ask your daddy when he comes back, okay?"

Kaden nodded happily and snuggled closer to her. "What happened at the park?"

Gabriella frowned. "What do you mean?"

"At the park," he mumbled as he looked up at her, "you were talking to Auntie Shar, Auntie Kels and Auntie Tay and I was playing with Naomi. Suddenly you wanted to leave, like you were mad at me."

Gabriella's heart crumbled. Kaden thought she was mad at him just because she couldn't control her emotions. Some mother she'd be. She brought him into her arms and kissed his head over and over again. "Oh, Kaden, sweetheart, I'd never be angry at you, I promise. I'm just being silly. I just...I'm tired and I need a hug from your daddy."

Kaden looked up at her. "What's so special about his hugs?"

Gabriella released a gentle sigh. "You'll understand someday." She suddenly heard the loud, clunking engine of Troy's truck and smiled. "Go and greet your daddy."

Kaden paused, kissed her cheek with a sloppy kiss and then scrambled away towards the front door. She heard him noisily open the door and run out towards Troy's truck. She smiled sadly when she heard Troy greet him with 'Hey Champ' and then slam the door to his truck shut. She heard the front door click shut and she turned just as Troy entered the lounge.

He frowned as he set Kaden on the floor. "What's wrong?"

She watched Kaden continue playing with his trucks. She shrugged. "Nothing."

"Gabi," he whispered.

"I'm fine," she said forcefully as she stood up and grabbed her coffee cup, taking it to the kitchen. She placed it on the island and gripped the edge of the counter, squeezing her eyes shut. She hadn't meant to talk like that to him but she hadn't really thought about what she was going to say to him. She had just been waiting to feel his arms around her. And there it was. Two familiar arms slipped easily around her waist and it took all of her concentration not to flinch. She shouldn't feel the need to flinch. She'd felt his arms enough times to know the difference between Troy's and anybody else's. But her mind was in overdrive.

"Gabriella," he said sternly.

She felt tears drip down her cheeks. He'd only ever called her Gabi. She slowly felt her resolve crumble as she felt his breath caress her ear. He only meant well and she supposed he had a right to know. He trusted her. She let out a tiny whimper as she spun around and cried into his neck.

Troy was clearly in shock and shrugged to himself before tightening his arms around her. He had been expecting to have to persuade her for much longer than that. But, he wasn't complaining. He rubbed her back soothingly and waited until she'd stopped sobbing before he pulled back and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. He lifted her up and set her on the island counter. He turned around and grabbed a few Kleenex tissues before he stood between her legs and gently dried her cheeks. "You want to tell me what's going on? Kaden said you'd left the park early? I thought you were going to grab some lunch with the girls?"

Gabriella sniffed and looked intently at her lap. "It'll sound so stupid to you."

"No it won't, I promise," Troy whispered, kissing her nose.

She looked up at him, knowing that her earlier plan of not telling her boyfriend was completely out of the window. "You promise not to get mad and just stay here with me?"

Troy frowned and nodded. "I promise."

Tears continued to drip down her cheeks and she released a shaky breath. "At the park...I thought...Oh, God! I wanted you there so badly. I was terrified."

"Shh..." Troy rubbed her leg gently. "It's okay. Just tell me what happened."

She sighed and sniffed. "I glanced over at Kaden. I'd been doing that the entire time. Just quick little glances to make sure he was okay. In the distance I saw a figure. It seems crazy, I know, and it was probably just my mind playing tricks on me. But, I thought I saw Austin there."

Troy's eyes darkened and he frowned deeply as he gripped her hand. "What?" he growled.

"Troy, please," she whispered, "it probably wasn't even him."

"If you truly think that then why are you so worked up because of it? He got you pregnant. You should know what he looks like," Troy yelled.

"Troy, please calm down. Kaden's in the next room," she tried desperately to calm him down.

"Why the hell is he here? It's probably one of the smallest towns in the continental US!" he growled.

"I know but-" Gabriella started.

"He thinks he can just waltz back into your life again?" Troy demanded.

Gabriella jumped off of the island counter and shook her head before grabbing her car keys and making her way to the front door. She put her hand on the handle only to find another, larger, more capable hand enclose around hers. "Let me go," she whispered, tugging at her arm.

"Where are you going?" Troy asked helplessly.

She turned to him and glared. "Back to Austin," she said sarcastically, "because I'm that stupid. This is why I didn't want to tell you. But," she sighed and leaned against the door, "you walked in and I knew I had to. I've never lied to you before and I wasn't going to start now."

Troy placed his left hand next to her head and stroked her face with gentle fingers with the other. "I'm sorry."

She sighed and shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You have a right to be angry. But, this was what I was terrified of. That was our first fight ever and it was over Austin. I don't want him to ruin my life again. I don't want to lose you," she cried.

"You won't," Troy promised. "Listen, we had a small argument. Ellie and I weren't perfect. We fought over stupid things," he exclaimed.

Gabriella giggled through her tears. "Really?"

"Really," he whispered. "And I'm not going to leave you, I promise. And I won't let you go without a fight, either. I love you too much."

She managed a small smile and stepped forward to embrace him. "I love you, too," she mumbled into his chest. She pulled back to look up at him. "And I kinda thought your protectiveness was really sexy," she admitted with a blush.

He smirked and pushed her back against the front door. "Really?"

"I'm going to regret saying that, aren't I?" she murmured.

He chuckled and kissed her gently, feeling her immediately relax in his arms. He pulled back, parting their lips just enough to speak. "I'm sorry about what happened back there. I just know how much he hurt you."

"It's okay," she whispered. "Like I said: I found it really sexy. Besides, you know I would never voluntarily talk to him."

He kissed her again, twisting his tongue around hers in a passionate dance. "I know," he muttered against her lips.

She pulled back and looked up at him lovingly. "But, seriously, I just want him to stay away. I mean, like I said: I don't even know if it was him. I'm still tired from the flight and you kind of wore me out last night."

"You were amazing," he murmured.

She blushed prettily and smiled up at him. "You were, too."

"So, are you okay now?" he asked.

She nodded. "If I come across him, I'm just going to call you. I don't think I can face him by myself."

"It's okay. That's fine," he whispered. He pressed his lips against hers again and allowed their tongues to continue dancing together. He pulled back and groaned quietly to himself. "You have no idea how bad I want to make love to you right now."

She placed a hand on his chest. "Well, we can't. Your son is in the next room."

He smiled. "I know. And listen, I won't let him ruin your life again. I'm going to be right there with you. I won't leave you alone."

She smiled and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him chastely. She pulled back and embraced him tightly, pressing her cheek against his chest. "I love you."

"I know. I love you, too," he murmured, tightening his hold on her. He couldn't let Austin hurt her again. He couldn't.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: So...ummm...yeah. I'm starting a new story. It's called 'Now you're my whole world'. It should be uploaded soon, I promise.**

**Don't own HSM

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Gabriella washed her cereal bowl and spoon up and set them on the drainer for them to dry throughout the day. She leaned against the sink as she dried her hands on a tea towel. Kaden was dressed and eating his own cereal at the kitchen table, waiting for Troy to get back downstairs. It had been a few days since the incident at the park and Troy and Gabriella couldn't be better. Although she hadn't approved of Troy's reaction to what she told him, that night, whilst making love in Troy's bedroom, she had been particularly passionate. She had been truthful, she had found his protectiveness rather sexy but she just didn't want him to yell at anyone.

Today was a meeting with Meaghan and her new attorney at her office. She had gathered every little piece of paperwork of the ranch which proved that without Jack, the entire place would collapse. He sorted the accounts, he looked after the crops and the animals, brought in supplies for the ranch and, basically, kept the place running smoothly. She had spoken to a number of employees and they all spoke very highly of him, as a boss and a friend. And with Troy being the ranch's personal veterinarian, they saved a lot of money on vets' bills.

She wasn't worried. She wasn't going to let the ranch go without a fight. And, if they couldn't agree on anything, Troy and Michael had both agreed that they would be happy to share it. However, Gabriella was still going to try to fight for it. It was so stupid, really. Meaghan was doing it just to spite Jack. But, Jack had assured her that he didn't mind if he lost it, that he knew she would be trying her best.

She set the tea towel on the counter and sat down at the kitchen table next to Kaden. She was already dressed in her grey business skirt, white blouse and her stilettos. Her hair had, once again, been piled into a neat bun. She wasn't nervous. But, the prospect of not knowing Meaghan's attorney was causing a tornado of butterflies to erupt in her stomach to the point where she felt physically sick. She hadn't been sick, of course, and doubted that she would be. She'd kept her breakfast down. But, she just wanted the meeting to be over with.

Something that comforted her was that Troy had the day off. That meant that if something went wrong, Troy was available to make it better. Although, he couldn't be at the meeting, it still made her feel better.

She stroked Kaden's blonde hair with one hand and wiped his mouth with a napkin with her other. "So, Kaden, did you talk to Daddy about my parents?"

Kaden slipped another sloppy spoonful of Cap'n Crunch into his mouth, allowing another drop of milk to slide down his chin. And again, she reached over to wipe it away. It didn't surprise her. Whilst eating breakfast with Troy, he had been constantly wiping his chin with his hand. Kaden was more like Troy than she originally thought. He swallowed his mouthful and turned to her. "He said I could call them Gran and Grandpa."

Gabriella smiled with relief and kissed his forehead. "Oh, that's great. Wow." She sighed happily. "I'm so happy here."

Kaden sipped his orange juice. "You're not moving, are you?"

Gabriella shook her head. "I can assure you, I'm not going anywhere. And if I am, I'm taking you and Daddy with me. He's not letting me go anywhere anytime soon. So, as long as I'm here..." She pulled him into her lap and began tickling him in her arms, listening to his happy giggles.

Troy came down the stairs and leaned against the doorframe, watching the two people who shared the centre of his world. It was a simple scene: Gabriella was drinking coffee, Kaden was eating breakfast and Gabriella's arm was around Kaden. It seemed to be a normal maternal scene, one that he expected Ellie to have done. But, something was different. It was like she was finally gaining her confidence to act maternally around Kaden. He loved her, of course he did, but in the beginning, it seemed that she was being maternal to be with Troy. Maybe it was because Kaden had reminded her of what could've been with Austin and her baby, he didn't know. But, now, she looked like a mother and the way she looked at Kaden...she was looking at him with so much love and affection, he knew she felt like a mother as well.

He thought he should make his presence known as he stepped into the kitchen in a pair of jeans and a simple white wife beater beneath a pale blue button up shirt which was undone. "Well, if it isn't my two favourite things in the world: Kaden's giggles and your beautiful smile." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek.

Gabriella blushed and set Kaden back on his chair. "Kaden said he can call my mom and dad Gran and Grandpa. You mean that?"

Troy poured himself a coffee and then sat down next to her, taking her hand in his. "Why wouldn't I? I don't want you to go."

She smiled widely at him. "Me neither. My parents love him already. He's the closest thing they've got to a grandkid." She played absently with his fingers.

"You'll do fine," Troy whispered. "And if anything goes wrong, or if you just want to get out of there, just call me and I'll give K to Lucy and come and pick you up and we'll drive somewhere."

Gabriella smiled at him and nodded. "Okay."

He leaned over and gave her a loving kiss, one much longer than they usually shared whist in the presence of anyone else, much less Kaden. He pulled back and winked. "Just go in there and blow them away like you do to me every time you walk in the room."

* * *

Gabriella sighed with boredom as she spun absently in her leather office chair. She and Jack were waiting for Meaghan and her attorney. They'd soon figured, after fifteen minutes of waiting, that they were running late. She and Jack had discussed what would happen, that she'd present evidence of Jack's roll on the ranch, and then chatted about her trip to California, they talked about the Wildcats' basketball team, Kaden, Troy and finally resulted in a game of noughts and crosses.

Jack contemplated where to place is cross. "It's amazing that a lawyer is as bad as Troy was in high school," he commented as he carefully drew a cross in the top right-hand corner of the grid.

Gabriella stopped her spinning and frowned. "What do you mean?" She studied the grid and immediately drew a circle in the centre box. Her glasses were perched on her nose and she looked like a stereotypical lawyer.

Jack chuckled lowly. He was dressed uncomfortably in a suit and, so far, he'd already loosened his tie. "In high school...I think the only reason he actually turned up at all was to become a vet. The amount of detentions he served for being late. Not by much, just five minutes. But, he was always late. And he was late for dates when he picked Ellie up. He was late to mine and Meaghan's anniversary party six years ago...the only thing he was on time for was the wedding."

Gabriella giggled. "Sounds about right. Kaden's almost the spitting image of him, isn't he?"

Jack nodded slowly. "Yeah, he is. Not in physical features, obviously. Except for the eyes. But, everything else...When Troy was a baby, would he go to sleep when we put him in his cot? No. He would scream Albuquerque down. He had to see a basketball to be able to go to sleep. Kaden was the same except it's his Wah-Wah bear."

Gabriella giggled at the thought. "I'm glad he grew out of it. I am not accepting a basketball anywhere near the bedroom."

Jack glanced back at the grid and suddenly screwed it up, throwing it towards the trashcan in the corner. Of course, it soared into it. "I hate you."

"Ah, you can't. I'm your lawyer and Troy's promised me I'm not going anywhere," she replied, grinning proudly at him. The phone connecting her office to reception rang and she pressed the speaker button. "Hey, Stacy. What's up?"

"Ms Bolton and her attorney have arrived," the young receptionist replied.

"Thanks, Stacy. Send them on up," she replied. She hung up and groaned. "About time. I swear, that felt about a week long. Professional, or what? Remember: if you want to say anything, tell me first, okay?"

Jack nodded and saluted her. "Yes, ma'am."

There was a knock on the door and it was pushed open. In walked Meaghan and her attorney. Her attorney...also known as Austin Ames. With his short, blonde waves of hair, his deep hazel eyes, defined jaw line, tanned skin and muscular body, he was the picture of a heartthrob. Well, Gabriella soon discovered that he was a heartbreaker, too. It made sense. Heartthrob, heartbreaker...But, as he set his briefcase on the table and Jack stood up to shake his hand, she knew it had been him at the park. She'd been right all along.

"Not possible," she whispered before shutting her eyes and turning away, feeling her throat constrict with tears.

She heard pleasantries exchanged between Austin and Jack and then they all sat down. She felt a hand on her arm. "Gabi?" Jack asked. "Gabi?"

"Oh, she'll be fine in a moment," Austin dismissed.

"What?" Jack gasped. "You've seen her like this? Obviously not." He took his cell phone out of his jacket and pressed speed dial for Troy. "Troy, you gotta come down here quick. I'll explain when you get here."

"Why are you calling Troy?" Meaghan demanded.

Jack wrapped an arm around Gabriella, trying to provide as much comfort as he could. "He's the only one who can help her. I've seen her like this before. When he walks in this room, she'll be better."

"She's probably faking it," Meaghan muttered.

"Meg, shut up, okay? You don't know her. You don't know me anymore. So, just leave it," Jack growled. He turned back to Gabriella who was curled into herself, rocking backwards and forwards. "Gabi, Troy's on his way," he whispered.

She sniffled quietly. "I want him," she whimpered.

He rubbed her back gently. "I know. He'll be here soon."

"I really think we should just get on with the meeting," Meaghan said lightly.

Jack glared at her. "Listen, our son loves her. Our grandson adores her and Mike is like a brother to her. We aren't continuing with this meeting today," he hissed. "Not until she's ready. Our divorce can wait."

"I agree with Mr Bolton," Austin said, finally speaking up.

Jack nodded with appreciation. "Thank you." He turned back to Gabriella. "He'll be here soon."

"Troy, your oldest son, is her partner, right? Is that correct?" Austin asked in a professional tone.

Jack nodded. "Yes, he is. They've been together for maybe a month. They're inseparable."

"Really?" Austin asked. "And she's settled? What about your grandson?"

Jack frowned and shrugged. "He adores Gabi and she loves him as if he's her own."

A door downstairs suddenly slammed shut and Gabriella lifted her head. "Gabi?" a voice yelled out.

"Troy?" she muttered as she spun around in her chair just in time to see him appear in the doorway, barely breathless. Tears began coursing down her cheeks as she leapt up from the chair and ran into his arms. "Troy! Cowboy, I wanted you here. I want to go home," she whispered into his chest.

He held her protectively in his embrace and rubbed her back as she cried into his chest. "It's okay," he murmured to her. He closed his eyes, willing everything else to disappear. He pulled back and took her glasses off of her. He folded them and set them on the bookshelf beside them. He turned back to her and wiped her cheeks. "What happened? I mean, you've only been here what? Half an hour. What happened in such a short space of time?"

Gabriella looked at their feet. "Can I just go home please?"

"Just tell me," Troy whispered.

"I'll tell you when we're at the ranch," she said as she lifted her head.

He frowned. "Tell me now," he said sternly.

Gabriella fiddled with her fingers nervously. "Look behind me," she said quietly.

Troy directed his gaze to the scene behind her: his parents and his mother's new attorney. "What is it?" he asked in confusion.

"Remember the park?" she asked, trying to be as subtle as possible.

His hold on her waist tightened ever so slightly. "Please tell me you're lying," he said tightly.

She shrugged. "Wish I could. You know how much I want to be."

He reached up with one hand to stroke her cheek. He kept his eyes locked on hers, knowing he would just lose his cool if he looked at anything else. "Did anything happen?"

She slowly shook her head. "But, I was scared something might happen."

He nodded. "That's fine. It doesn't matter."

She sniffed. "Is Kaden with Lucille?" she asked, not really knowing what to say.

Troy smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, he is."

"So, you're Troy Bolton?" Austin asked.

Troy took a shaky breath and looked over at him with hard, cold eyes. "Yes. I don't need to ask who you are," he growled.

Gabriella held his cheek and sighed. "Troy, please," she murmured.

He frowned and turned to her. "He's in the same room as you and you want me to be calm?" he demanded.

She sighed. He had a point. "But, can't you just take me home?"

"What about the meeting?" Austin asked.

Troy turned to him, tightening his hold on his girlfriend. He laughed sarcastically. "You honestly think I give a damn about you or this stupid divorce?"

"Troy!" Meaghan exclaimed and stood up.

Troy turned to her. "Did he tell you? I assume you told him about Gabi and me?" he asked.

"Well, of course," she replied. She turned to Austin. "Tell me what?"

Troy stepped away from Gabriella and marched around the table to Austin. "Your _attorney_ just so happens to be the scumbag that broke Gabi's heart. Yeah, you heard me. He asked her to marry him, got her pregnant and when she miscarried, he walked out of her life," he yelled.

Jack rushed around to place a hand on Troy's shoulder. "Calm down, son, it's not what Gabi needs."

"Okay, listen, _Troy_, you need to listen to me," Austin exclaimed.

"Why?" Troy spat. "You broke her heart when she gave everything to you."

A mischievous smile pulled at his lips. "I bet she didn't tell you everything, did she? She only told you my doing. And, yeah, it was wrong and I'm sorry."

"Don't you start blaming her, she would never do anything to hurt anybody," Troy said defensively.

Austin turned to Gabriella and let out a small laugh. "You bitch. You made him think I'm the bad guy."

Troy went to lunge forward but Jack grabbed him. "Dad, let me go. I want to rip him to shreds," he growled.

Meaghan stepped towards him and placed a hand on his arm. "Troy, calm down. Tell me what's going on," she said sternly.

"That _thing_ strung her along, played with her mind. She gave her everything to him and he proposed to her. She was pregnant, miscarried and what does he do? He bloody leaves her!" he yelled.

Austin rolled his eyes. "She didn't tell you."

Gabriella was stood by the table, whimpering quietly to herself. "Troy," she cried out, staring at the ground.

Troy looked over at her. It was evident that she was the only thing to break through his rage. He rushed over to her and embraced her. "Baby, what's he talking about?" he asked quietly, searching her eyes that were now dull and sombre.

She sniffed and looked over at Austin. She turned back to Troy and released a sob. "I haven't been completely honest with you. I never lied," she added hurriedly. "But, I didn't know what you'd think of me."

Troy frowned and stepped away from her. "What are you talking about?"

Gabriella swallowed and stared at her feet. "It was my fault," she mumbled. She lifted her head and sighed. "Not the miscarriage. The pregnancy." She sniffed. "I was on the pill and I didn't take one month." She shrugged in embarrassment. "Everything was perfect and I wanted a baby."

Troy looked at her in shock. "Gabriella..."

Tears continued to run down her cheeks and she looked pitifully at him. "I'm sorry."

He sighed and embraced her again. Yeah, he was upset she hadn't told him but he loved her, it was in the past and it was impossible for him to be angry at her when she looked so weak and vulnerable. "It's okay. Don't worry. I know, now. It's okay," he whispered as he rubbed her back.

She sniffed and pulled back. "But,"

"It's in the past. There's nothing we can do about it. I know now so, don't worry." He punctuated his point with an earth-shattering kiss. Usually, he wouldn't kiss her like that while others were in the room as she was fairly strict on public displays of affections, but she needed reassurance and he secretly wanted to spite Austin off.

She pulled back breathless and gave him a tiny smile. "You're not mad?"

"We'll talk about it later," he said quietly. He turned to his parents and Austin. "I'm going to take Gabi home."

"What about the meeting?" Austin demanded, still in shock after Troy's reaction to the revelation.

Troy turned to Jack and Meaghan. "Gabi will keep you informed about rescheduling and the status of your case," he assured them.

"I am talking," Austin yelled.

"And I'm not listening," Troy bellowed, his arms still around Gabriella. "If you think for one second I'd listen to what you have to say, you're very much mistaken."

Austin stood there in shock. "Didn't you hear that she lied to you?"

"She didn't lie and I don't care. I still love her," Troy exclaimed. "Come on, Gabi. Let's go home."

* * *

Troy walked into the bedroom after calling Sharpay to call the gang to gather at the ranch where Jack would explain the situation. Sharpay had wanted to see her best friend but Troy had protested, saying that he needed to talk to her. He had arranged for Kaden to stay at Taylor's and Chad's that night. They'd driven past Gabriella's house to pick up Lucky, something Troy would usually disapprove of but agreed to. The cat was curled up protectively next to Gabriella, giving her a little more comfort. Troy saw that Gabriella was curled up in the covers and one of his shirts, looking pitiful and his heart broke. He climbed onto the bed, beneath the covers and still fully clothed, and scooped some Ben and Jerry's fudge brownie ice cream onto the spoon in his hand. "So," he murmured as he fed it to her, "you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

He leaned across to kiss her softly, tasting the ice cream in her mouth. "Stop apologising, missy. I'm not accepting it. I've told you, its fine."

"I feel awful," she muttered.

He stroked her forehead and fed her another mouthful of ice cream. "I know. You know that I'm not leaving you just because you didn't tell me about the pill."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Really?"

"You sound shocked," he murmured and ate some ice cream. "I've told you: I'm not letting you go."

She smiled lovingly up at him. "Wow. You...You meant it."

He frowned and nodded, twisting his head to face her. "Oh, yeah. You didn't believe me."

"I still don't believe you exist," she exclaimed.

He chuckled as he set the ice cream tub between them and wrapped an arm around her. "Well, believe that I'm never letting you go. Especially not because of that bastard."

"Troy!" she exclaimed in shock.

He shrugged. "He was enjoying your suffering."

She frowned and stared at the ice cream. "Why is he here?"

"The obvious answer is to be my mom's attorney but he had to have been told your name, surely. Didn't he?" he asked.

Gabriella giggled. Troy still didn't really understand the legal parts. "Yes. He did. But, something doesn't sit right. He can't have come all that way to just enjoy my life falling apart, surely."

He turned to her. "Would you like me to talk to him?"

She raised her eyebrows.

"What? I mean talk," he exclaimed.

She sighed. "No, I need to do it. But, you can be there. I don't want to be alone with him."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "It's okay."

She nestled into him, getting as close as possible and she clung to him tightly, revelling in his warmth. "I don't feel alone anymore," she whispered.

He smiled up at the ceiling. "Me neither. And, you know what? We'll fix it, okay? I promise."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Okay, I had a teensy bit of writer's block on this one hehe. Don't forget my contest. I have two people who are definately entering but no entries yet (does that make sense?)**

**Don't own x

* * *

**

Sharpay sighed. "It's not fair. He shouldn't do that," she complained.

Everyone else in Jack's living room released a unanimous groan for that was, what felt like, the hundredth time Sharpay had said those exact words. Taylor sighed. "But he has. I mean, I could do the case but Gabi's adamant that she's doing it herself."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I'm not lawyer but that sounds plain stupid."

Troy looked up from the floor where he was sitting with Gabriella sitting between his legs, his arms around her waist, while she played with Naomi and Kaden. "No it's not. It's smart, actually. We've talked it through. This ranch is another home for her. She knows how much it means to Dad, Mike, Lucy, Kaden...me. She's ready. She's not taking anymore of Austin's..." He trailed off and glanced at Kaden and Naomi. "Trash. Besides, he won't be expecting it. I could tell that he's expecting her to quit."

Chad finally nodded. "That kind of makes sense."

"And," Gabriella piped up, "I'm going in there as a lawyer, not his ex."

Troy kissed her exposed neck chastely. "That's why I'm proud of her."

"And you know what?" Gabriella asked. "I'm not a little kid anymore. And I have Troy, I have you guys. I'm not giving him the satisfaction. That's why I'm going with this. Yes, he hurt me. Yes, it freaked me out when he came back but I can't let that stop me. This place is a home for me and I know it's everything to Jack. Well, except Troy and Mike. I'm not giving up."

Kelsi nodded proudly. "Good for you."

Gabriella smiled at her. "That's why I'm going to talk to Austin later on today."

A gasp erupted from around the room. "Troy, you're...You're going to let her?" Zeke demanded.

Troy shrugged. "I encouraged her to. She can't through this without knowing what he's really doing here. They need to talk things through and we've agreed that I'm going to be there with her. We're going to meet him this evening at your restaurant." He pointed at Sharpay and Ryan.

Sharpay gasped. "I'm not letting him in my restaurant."

Gabriella sighed. "Shar, please? For me? If he's in Albuquerque, I want him to know that we're still best friends. Please? I'll buy you anything you want. Within reason. Nothing over a thousand."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "That's nothing," she complained.

"You'd buy her something for a thousand dollars?" Troy asked slowly. Gabriella simply shrugged in response.

"Besides, I'd never let you do that. Okay, fine. If you insist," she mumbled, defeated.

Gabriella smiled. "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

* * *

Troy continued to tap the table. Although it seemed unbelievably stupid, even to him, he was the nervous one. Gabriella was sat next to him, calmly sipping her red wine and her other hand resting on his thigh under the table. He had been twitchy all evening. Ever since he and Gabriella had started the short walk from the ranch to the restaurant; they'd both agreed to walk so that they could have a few glasses of wine. He'd started off by constantly checking his pockets for his wallet and phone despite the fact that Kaden was sleeping over at Chad and Taylor's and Sharpay had told them that everything was on the house for the two. Then, he'd started fiddling with the buttons of his white button up shirt and, when they were seated at a table near the back of the restaurant, he had constantly tapped something.

Gabriella, sitting there in her knee length red silk dress just ignored him. She concentrated on keeping her sharp eyes focussed on the doors opposite them. She was waiting and she was ready. She was a lioness eyeing up her prey, ready to pounce. This time, Austin wasn't a surprise. She knew he was coming. And Troy was beside her. Troy was a rock. Even thought he, for some bizarre reason, was twitching like a leaf, he would stand no funny business. Austin wouldn't lay a finger on her.

Gabriella knew that was what was bothering Troy. He wasn't nervous, exactly. That wasn't the right word. He was...determined. Determination just so happened to make him shake like a maraca. He was determined to protect. He had promised to protect her. And the fact that, in a matter of minutes, Austin would be close to her was driving him crazy. She found it sweet. She wanted protection. She wanted Austin to know that Troy was everything to her and the feelings were reciprocated.

The door was pushed open slowly and in stepped Austin in all of his blonde haired glory. He swung his head back, his locks flying around him like a halo. Gabriella knew different. _Some halo_. He saw Gabriella and their eyes met, one gaze locking them together. He walked over to the hostess and even from across the restaurant, Gabriella could hear the way he spat 'Bolton'.

Gabriella finally turned to Troy and held his hand that had been tapping the table. "Calm down," she whispered. "It'll be fine."

"I don't want him near you," he growled.

She smiled and snuggled into his embrace, his other arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Me neither but you're here. It'll be fine." She leaned across and brushed her lips against his. Troy responded eagerly, knowing Austin was watching, and immediately entwined his tongue with Gabriella's.

She giggled tantalisingly against him and pushed him away with both of his hands. "Stop it, Cowboy. I know what you're doing. And I don't mind it, I want him to know how great I am with you, but this is a five star restaurant."

Troy mumbled something incoherent as he buried his face into neck, planting soft, open mouthed kisses along her throat, using his tongue to lick her soft skin. "Mmmm...But, Shar and Ry own it. They won't care."

She pushed away again and shook her head. "I do. Is my lip gloss smudged?" she asked.

Troy licked his thumb and swiped it gently against the corner of her mouth. "Not anymore."

Gabriella nodded in satisfaction and got into a comfier position in her seat. She stood up when Austin approached and tapped Troy's shoulder, giving him a look. "Troy, stand up," she ordered.

Troy raised his eyebrows, glanced at Austin and then looked back at her. "I am not standing up for him."

She sighed and sat back down again. "Fair enough."

Austin glared at Troy and shrugged his blazer off, draping it over the back of his chair. "I see manners were not a part of your upbringing."

"I see having a heart wasn't in yours," Troy hissed back.

Gabriella sighed and stared at the table in front of her. It was every girl's nightmare: her current boyfriend and her ex. "Guys, this isn't a meeting for pleasantries. This is about business. Nothing more, nothing less."

A waiter approached and took their orders before leaving them alone again. Troy continued to glare at Austin, Austin continued to glare back. Gabriella suddenly stood up, reaching for her black wrap. "Where are you going?" Troy exclaimed.

"Well, no one's talking," she replied. "You two are too busy trying to kill each other with looks. To be honest, I'd much rather you fight each other. I thought we were going to talk?"

Troy sighed and nodded, tugging her back into her seat. "Okay. I'm sorry," he whispered sincerely.

She nodded with satisfaction and kissed his cheek, resting a hand on his thigh under the table. "Okay, now you two are finished, tell us. What are you doing in Albuquerque? If you use the words Meaghan or attorney, I'll slap you," she warned.

Austin, acting as cool as ice, unfolded his napkin and set it neatly in his lap. "Well, it's quite simple, really. I wanted to know what the hell you were thinking, going around shagging some rodeo clown."

Gabriella held his gaze. "You take that back this second," she growled. "You really care for me? Honestly? Then why did you leave me lying alone in a hospital bed after I lost _our_ baby. Troy isn't a rodeo clown. He's my cowboy, my sunshine, my...everything. He's everything you're not. And, for your information, what happens physically between Troy and I is strictly between us. Any other reasons?"

Austin raised his eyebrows. "I want you back," he said strongly.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, sitting back in her chair. "Right. If you do, hypothetically, want me back, what changed your mind?"

Austin was saved when a waiter arrived with their food. He raised his drink to his lips and then picked up his knife and fork. "Why do I want you back?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yes," she said shortly. "That's what I said."

"I realised what I did was wrong. I'm sorry," he said sincerely, looking over at her.

Gabriella inhaled and placed her knife down, dropping her hand back down onto Troy's leg. "Apology accepted."

Austin smiled across at her. "Really? So, you'll come back to New York with me?"

Troy choked on the piece of meat he'd just chewed and Gabriella had to slap him a couple of times on his back so that he could swallow it properly. He reached for his wine and took a grateful sip. He placed it back down and immediately wrapped a protective arm around Gabriella's waist. "Bastard I hate more than the Knights, say what now?" he demanded.

"First of all: huh?" Austin gave Troy a confused look. "Second of all: well, I'm asking Gabi to come back with me."

"Well, no. Of course not. What? No. Why would I do that? I'm, in your words, shagging a rodeo clown. And I'm happy with that. I love that. I'm in love with him. Hopelessly. And every day, when I see him or Kaden, I know that he's mine and I'm his. I'm going nowhere with you. Not in a million years. No way." She snuggled further into Troy's embrace and shook her head violently.

"What?" Austin whispered.

Troy frowned. "You honestly thought she'd get back with...you?"

Austin frowned. "So, you honestly don't want anything to do with me?"

Gabriella shook her head slowly. "No. The only way we're having contact in any way is through the divorce. Understood?"

Austin set his knife and fork together and then slowly wiped his mouth with his napkin. He set that neatly on the table and stood up. "Well, I better not stay. I don't want to be a third wheel."

Gabriella stood up too. "Austin-"

"It's my fault," he murmured. He looked her directly in the eyes and gave her a tiny smile. "You did well for yourself. Don't worry, as soon as the divorce is settled, I'm out of here. You won't hear from me again. I promise."

"You can at least stay for the rest of your meal," she offered.

He smiled and shook his head. "Gabriella Montez. You're even nice to the biggest jerk on the planet." He turned to Troy. "You're really lucky. Honestly."

Troy smiled up at Gabriella. "Yeah, I am."

Austin picked his jacket up and smiled one last time. "Goodbye."

Gabriella's smile slipped away and sat back down, turning to Troy's loving embrace. "Mmmm...I love you."

Troy wrapped his arms tightly around her and stroked her bare arm. "I love you, too. You do realise that you're too nice for your own good, right?"

She sighed and nodded into his chest. "I know."

Troy waved a waiter over and asked if it was possible if they could move over to a booth and because Sharpay had told the staff that Troy and Gabriella got everything, they were moved to a quiet window booth in a corner. The waiters brought over their drinks as they sat next to each other and Troy continued hold his girlfriend and gently rub her arm. "You okay?"

She shook her head and Troy forced her to look at him. Tears were trickling down her cheeks and she sniffed, clutching to his torso even tighter. "I kept seeing him leaving the hospital. I had an IV drip in my left arm and wires attached to my chest to monitor my heart rate and he just...left. Just like that. Except, this time, he apologised." She looked Troy in his eyes and rested a hand on his neck and kissed him lightly.

Troy kissed her forehead. "I'm proud of you."

Gabriella rested her head softly on his shoulder and sighed. "Yeah. Now, I now we're only together for business. He knows the deal now."

Troy kissed her temple and held her tighter. "Now, all you've got to do is win the ranch back. And you will. I know you will."

She looked up at him. "Thank you."

Troy released a quiet breath and revelled in the feeling of having Gabriella in his arms. Austin was out. She was finally his. Troy had to hold back a laugh. The bastard had had the guts to ask Gabriella to... "Gabi?"

"Hmmm," she murmured.

"Do you want to go to New York with Austin?" he asked quietly.

Gabriella lifted her head in shock. "What? Why would you ask a stupid question like that?"

"Wow. You really know how to boost a guy's ego," he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes. "You, Cowboy, have plenty of ego."

"I was asking," he whispered, "because I don't want you to stay here because of me. I'll be fine."

She smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

He nodded confidently. "Yeah."

Gabriella slid out of the booth and stood up. "Well, in that case..."

"Gabi," he exclaimed indignantly.

She sat back down and giggled. "You know I'm kidding. Troy, you're not the only reason I'm staying in Albuquerque but you are the main one. And that's incredible. I love that. Don't say anything against it. I need you and want you and love you. I don't want to leave you. And I know you. You wouldn't be fine. You'd be a wreck and Kaden would be too." She stroked his cheek, feeling the smoothness of his skin from after he shaved. "I love you."

Troy smiled and nodded. "I just didn't want you to think you had to."

She frowned and shook her head. "Didn't you hear what I just said? Of course I have to. I need you. You make everything better. You convince me that I'll be okay even when I'm sure that I won't. You're...my rock, my everything," she whispered.

Troy kissed her palm and nodded. He kissed her forehead. "You're my rock," he repeated. "My everything." She rested her head on his chest and he held her close to his body. They sat there for a while, holding each other and, despite the other customers around them, the sound that was invading their little bubble of calm was their heartbeats. "Gabi?" he asked quietly, burying his nose into her luscious curls, breathing in her sweet shampoo to calm down the butterflies that had erupted in his stomach.

"What?" she murmured.

"You know when the case is finished?" he asked, fiddling with her fingers.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"Would you like to live on the ranch?" he asked in embarrassment.

Gabriella jolted up and stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

He shrugged uncomfortably and ran his hand over his face. "Well, it made sense...to me," he mumbled. "We've spent so many nights together, I wondered if you'd like to move in with me."

"At the ranch?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah."

"With animals?"

Troy nodded. "Generally, yes."

"And Jack and Mike? Lucy?"

Again, Troy replied with a 'Yes' that was much quieter than the others.

"You and Kaden?"

"That's what I'm asking," he murmured, clearly convinced that she would decline.

Gabriella wanted to giggle at how adorable he looked but decided she wanted a bit more of him looking like that. "In the house you bought for you and Ellie? With the room where you made love to her?"

His face fell a little bit more. "Well, when you put it like-"

"You're an idiot," she said softly, kissing his cheek.

He looked at her in surprise. "Uh...why?"

"You had to ask me to move in with you?" she asked. She stroked his cheek. "Of course I'll move in with you. As soon as the case is over. I'd love to." She leaned in, pushing her lips hurriedly against his. She held him as close as possible as their tongues entwined passionately together, celebrating their new decision. As Troy moved his lips slowly along her jaw and Gabriella pushed him away, giggling. "Once again: five star restaurant."

He smiled across at her. "You really want to live with a cowboy?"

She nodded excitedly. "Yeah."

"I'm glad," he whispered. "It'll be us...together."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Wow. Long time no update for this story. I'm sorry. these past few weeks have been crazy. I've had exams, essays due, and my boyfriend (ha!) dumped me last week (through an IM!) I'm over it now. Oh well. hehe. Ummmm...I'm supposed to be writing a Psychology paper on Freud atm (procrastination is awesome!) lol. Anyway, enjoy. Thank you very much, xLeeRmdomx for her help with this chapter. Oh, oh, oh! Please check out the trailer she did for this story on youtube. It's freaking awesome! Just youtube the title 'with me through adversity' and it'll be there.**

**Don't own HSM

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**

Gabriella relished in the warmth surrounding her, snuggling further into Troy's duvet's embrace. She didn't know what time it was but didn't care and didn't want to admit defeat to the day just yet. She rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face happily into the pillow that Troy had used during the night. It had taken her forever to fall asleep. She had been mesmerised, like she always was, by Troy sleeping and couldn't bear to close her eyes.

She knew what she had to do: she had to find all of the banking evidence that Jack was the one who paid the employees, vets bills he paid and comments from the employees. Of course, she wouldn't get all of that done in one day. She would be able to get it done, though, by the next meeting in eight days. Gone were the days of her freezing. That wasn't an option anymore because she was going to fight and come out on top. Not literally, of course. She wouldn't allow Meaghan, and especially Austin, take away everything that Troy and Kaden had ever known. And, hopefully someday, it would be her home, too.

Although Gabriella didn't know Austin's real motives for coming to Albuquerque, she didn't care and didn't really want to know. As long as he disappeared after the divorce and she wasn't forced to get a restraining order, she'd show him the same respect she'd have for any other opposing attorney and client.

"Shhhh...She's sleeping," a whispered voice warned. "Lucky, be quiet."

Gabriella smiled to herself and finally realised that she was alone in the bed. It should've clicked at first, she supposed, but she couldn't blame herself for simply revelling in the peace, quiet and warmth of the bed. She was physically and mentally exhausted.

"Lucky," Troy hissed again.

Gabriella rolled onto her side so that she was facing the door and pushed the duvet from her body. "Troy, baby, I can hear you."

The door creaked open and Lucky prowled inside, immediately jumping onto Troy's bed to snuggle up to Gabriella. Troy stepped inside and smiled at her, setting a tray of breakfast on the bedside cabinet. He sat on the edge of the bed and kissed Gabriella sweetly on the lips. "Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty. How are you?"

Gabriella moaned tiredly as she absently scratched Lucky behind the ear. "Tired. I couldn't sleep."

Troy frowned. "How come?"

Gabriella sat up, making Lucky whine in protest. She shrugged. "No reason, really. I watched you sleep and thought about the case. That's all. Nothing bad, I promise."

"You're okay, though, right?" he asked quietly.

Gabriella nodded as he leant forward to nuzzle her neck. "I'm fine. Just planning how to get enough evidence to make sure we keep the ranch."

He pulled back and smirked. "We?"

She blushed and slapped his chest playfully. "Well, at the restaurant...and what you said about us living together..."

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her lips, holding her tightly in his embrace. Her arms wound happily about his neck, giggling against his lips. He chuckled in response and tightened his hold on her. He pushed her back, settling happily into lying positions. He moaned in protest when he felt a nudge on his arm, making him pull back. Lucky meowed innocently and nudged him again. He groaned and buried his face into Gabriella's neck.

She giggled and stroked his hair. "You can't blame her. Like you said: she needs TLC. Anyway, I have to get up and get going." They both sat up and Gabriella picked Lucky up, giving her a cuddle.

Troy frowned. "Why?"

She smiled and reached forward to touch his cheek. "To get to work."

* * *

Gabriella just finished washing the dishes when the door slammed open and she knew that the stillness that occupied the house while Troy was dressing had evaporated and wouldn't return. She dried her hands and turned around just in time for Kaden to jump into her embrace. She hugged him tight and rested him on her hip. "Wow, Kaden. You're so big. I don't think I'll be able to do this for much longer." She nuzzled her nose with his. "How was your sleepover?"

Kaden giggled happily. "It was fantastic. Naomi and I watched movies and played forts with Uncle Chad."

Gabriella smiled. "Sounds fun." She looked up as Taylor and Naomi entered the kitchen. She set Kaden down and smiled. "Hey. How are you?"

Taylor held a hand up. "Good. We're just going to go shopping and buy Naomi some pretty new clothes because her dad wanted to help with the washing. They've shrunk."

Gabriella nodded. "That explains the nightshirt."

"We'd better go. You're going to be at the office today, right?" Taylor asked.

Gabriella nodded. "Yes. I will be."

"I'll see you there, then. Some on, Sweetie. I'll buy you an ice cream," Taylor said softly.

"Bye, Naomi," Kaden called and waved enthusiastically at her.

"Bye, Kaden," Naomi replied, the click of the front door following their leaving.

Gabriella looked down at Kaden and stroked his hair. "Now, I'm assuming Auntie Taylor has given you breakfast."

Kaden nodded enthusiastically. "Chocolate chip pancakes," he said proudly.

Gabriella knelt in front of him and frowned. "Your daddy only made me scrambled egg and toast. That's not fair."

"Where's Daddy?" Kaden asked sweetly.

"He's just showering and getting dressed. But, until he comes down, do you want to play some basketball?" she asked.

Kaden nodded enthusiastically. "Yes please."

Gabriella giggled and walked towards the hall closet to slip on some converse sneakers, a stark contrast to the floral dress she was wearing. She picked up a hair tie from the counter and pulled her mass of raven curls back into a messy bun. Not exactly glamorous but she figured she had at least an hour and a half before she planned to be at the office. She looked down at Kaden and grinned. "Come on, then."

Kaden ran through to the back door and to the back yard where the basketball court was. "Come on, Gabi!"

Gabriella smiled and stopped to pick up a basketball and followed him out there. "I'm coming, calm down." Gabriella dribbled the ball towards him and passed it to him. "So, little man, you ready to try and beat me."

"Daddy says that I can beat anybody," he said proudly.

Gabriella giggled. "I bet you can. Now, game on."

After playing eagerly for five minutes, ending with Gabriella lifting Kaden up for a slam dunk. She set him on the floor and groaned when he picked the ball up again. "Come on, Gabi. One more time."

She placed a hand over her heart and walked over to sit on a plastic chaise. "Kaden, I'm not like your dad. I don't have his stamina."

Kaden walked over, still holding the ball. "What's a saminac?"

Gabriella smiled. "Stamina. It means...being able to keep going for a really long time. Like your daddy can play basketball for hours and hours. I can't. I wasn't very good in gym."

"Oh," Kaden murmured. "Are you okay? You look sad."

Gabriella nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking how proud your mom would be of you. You're the sweetest three year old boy I've ever met."

"I get that a lot," he replied sweetly.

Gabriella giggled and a lone tear trickled down her cheek. "Kaden, your daddy means the world to me and I don't want to think about my future without him, or without you. You know, before I came here, I was pregnant."

"You had a baby in your tummy?" he asked sweetly.

Gabriella nodded, moving a hand subconsciously to her stomach. "Yeah," she breathed. "And that baby died. It broke my heart. It had been so exciting and then it was over. But, then I came here. I met you and you're everything I wish my baby would've been. I'm just really glad that you accepted me. I wish I could've met your daddy when you were born so that I could've helped him sooner."

"Daddy says that Mommy was helping him. That she's our guardian angel. That's why you met Daddy. She knew your heart needed fixing, too," he said sweetly.

Gabriella laughed to herself. "I guess you're right."

"Will you be my mommy someday?" he asked. He dropped the ball and climbed up next to her.

She looked towards the sky. "I don't know. I hope so. I don't ever want to leave. I need to be here with your daddy and you. Albuquerque is my home now."

Kaden wrapped his tiny arms around her and planted a wet kiss on her cheek. "You'll be the best mommy ever."

She smiled and kissed his forehead. "Thanks, Kaden." She looked over to the kitchen window and smiled slightly, waving at the sight of her entire world waving at her from the other side. "I think we should go inside now. Your daddy's there."

Kaden waved happily at Troy before looking up at Gabriella. "Does he blame me?"

Gabriella frowned. "For what?"

"Mommy dying," he muttered.

Gabriella smiled weakly and stroked his face with her small hand. He looked so much like his mother and yet he never met her. She pulled him close and kissed his forehead. "Of course not. I promise. Your daddy misses her and still loves her but I know him. I know that he would live through it all over again just to get you. And I know your mommy would say exactly the same."

"Really?" he whispered.

She nodded. "I promise. You're his entire world and he'd do anything for you. Don't blame yourself." She kissed the top of his head and ruffled his hair. "Now go on inside."

"Okay." He stood up and headed towards the door. "Are you coming?"

"In a minute," she promised. She watched him hurry inside and a moment later, Kaden was in Troy's arms, talking animatedly. Troy kept glancing in her direction and she smiled before turning away. What Kaden said was true: someone, maybe Ellie or Gabriella's unborn baby, had been watching over her and Troy. Someone wanted them to be together. Although neither could forget the past and it would always be there, the future would be there, too. And when she looked to the future, all she saw was Troy.

* * *

Gabriella lifted her head as the door opened and Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi walked in. She smiled. "Hey, guys."

They glanced nervously at each other before Kelsi finally ventured to break the tension. "I'm going for an ultrasound next week."

Gabriella grinned. "Really?" She lowered her head again. "Are you going to find out the sex?"

"No, we're going to wait. We want it to be a surprise," she replied. "In fact, we're going to get married after the baby's born."

"Great," Gabriella mumbled absentmindedly.

Sharpay sighed. "Gabi?" she tried. "I saw Troy making out with your secretary five minutes ago."

"That's great," Gabriella muttered.

The three other women glanced at each other. Kelsi reached over the desk and took the pen from Gabriella's hand, giving her a stern look when she opened her mouth to protest. The Latina woman cowered back into her chair, looking pitifully up at three of her best friends. Kelsi rolled her eyes. "Gabi," she warned.

Taylor interjected. "Gabi, just slow down. You've been here for almost three hours and you haven't taken one break."

Gabriella stared at her desk. "Don't," she said simply. "Please. Just let me get on with this."

Taylor sighed. "Gabi, they told me what you were like in college."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "What do you expect from me? Meaghan wants the ranch and Austin knows every one of my weaknesses. I can't just go in there half heartedly."

"We don't expect you to," Sharpay offered. "But, we remember the way you were way before you got your degree. You turned into a psycho. You barely ate and ignored everybody. You had tunnel vision. We don't want to see that again."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I just want this over with, okay? Let me do it my way."

"Don't overwork yourself," Taylor warned. "Troy used to be like that. You never saw him unless you made plans. He was either working or spending time with Kaden. Or having a bad day. Don't do that. He'll think you're pushing him away."

Gabriella laughed and shook her head. "He knows me. He wouldn't think that."

"Yes he would," Kelsi murmured. "Just calm down, okay? Just do your job. That's all Jack wants. He honestly won't mind if he loses the ranch, as long as you try your hardest. And Troy? He wouldn't want you to go insane like you did at Columbia!"

Gabriella's smile fell. "What about me, huh? What if I simply want to live on the ranch? What if I'm not giving up easily because I know it would break Troy's heart because I know he's still connected with Ellie there? So what? It'll be over in a fortnight, okay? So, just...leave me alone!" she yelled as she stormed out of the room.

* * *

After a hard day of work and school, Troy found himself almost being pushed off of the couch by his dearest brother, Mike. Of course, being the oldest, Troy pushed back just as much, adamant that he was going to win the round of Mario brothers on the Nintendo Wii. "Mikey! Damn you. I just slipped on a banana!"

Mike laughed victoriously. "Ah, no rules with this game."

If Troy had to admit it, there were only three players out of the possible twelve characters on the track: Troy, Mike and Jack. But Jack was concentrating more on his sons' interaction than the actual race. "Don't laugh yet, little brother," Troy tormented, just as he smashed another weapon box. He watched victoriously as his car turned into a rocket and sped past Mike's car, crossing the finishing line in first place.

Mike slumped back and groaned. "Yeah, well..." He poked his tongue out at Troy.

"Very mature," he commented. "When will you learn, Mikey? I'm older, therefore, I win." This had been happening since Mikey was born. They would compete against each other in anything: video games, basketball, foosball, wrestling or even washing the dishes quickly. If Troy won, he would say it's because he's older, if Mike won, he would say it's because he's better. When either of them lost, they acted like it wasn't a big deal.

"Well, it was only a video game. Who cares?" Mike asked nonchalantly.

Troy laughed and hit Mike gently over the head. It had been a good end to the day. After a stressful day of dealing with worrying pet owners, it was nice to know that Kaden was in Lucille's care, he could kick back, relax and have a few bottles of beer with his dad and brother. And the best part? He was going home to Gabriella. It was a good feeling. Things finally seemed to be falling into place. Although Austin was still around, it wouldn't be for much longer. Gabriella had told him: there were a final two meetings scheduled but that could change in a hurry. The first meeting was to present evidence why each party should keep the ranch and the second meeting was to finally decide who would keep it.

Jake set his Wii remote on the coffee table and took a swig from his beer bottle. "Congratulations, Troy. You'd never think you were a father, yourself."

Troy laughed. "That's true."

They all smiled and clinked their bottles together before all taking a mouthful. Jack sat back and sighed. "You know, boys, its times like these, when it's just us, that I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I want you both to know that no matter what happens with this divorce, we'll still be Boltons' until the end. You guys are all I truly have. I mean, I failed at my marriage, I might lose the ranch...I'm just glad you guys stood by me and you're old enough to understand all that's going on."

Troy and Mike glanced at each other before Troy cleared his throat. "Dad, you didn't fail your marriage. I mean, some people just aren't meant to be together. Like me and Ellie. Fate wanted us together but then fate changed its mind. And it changed its mind because Gabriella would come along and we'd need each other. Dad, it just wasn't meant to be and we'll always be behind you."

Jack nodded and smiled slightly, although nothing was particularly humorous with the serious turn of conversation. "No, I know that. And I know I've got Kaden, too. And Gabi and Chad and everyone else, too. But, it's not the same. It's not the same as waking up next to someone who just sums you up. It's not the same as having someone beside you when the world is perfect and even when its not. You know that." Jack looked Troy straight in the eye.

"Dad," Mike started quietly, "you don't have to be alone."

Jack laughed. "Don't be silly, Mikey. There's no hope for a man my age. I'm close to retirement."

Mike nodded. "I know. And, usually, I'd agree." He glanced at his older brother who gave a slight nod of encouragement. "But, it doesn't have to be that way. Who has been here every single day since before Troy was born? Who stood by Troy when Mom turned her heel and became paranoid?"

Jack frowned. "Lucy? What are you...No, not possible."

Troy laughed and shook his head. "Dad, just think about it. She's been alone for years. You don't have to be that way."

Jack shook his head and took a swig of his beer. "Can we just leave it? Anyway, Troy, how's the Austin situation?"

Troy shrugged. "Well, he seemed civilised at the restaurant last night but something isn't right. I don't like the way he treated her at the office and then the complete opposite at the restaurant. He says he wants her back and that he understood that she didn't and that he'd disappear after the case has finished. But, I'm sure there's more to it."

"Like what?" Mike asked in concern.

Troy shook his head. "Nah, I'm sure it's nothing. What's the worst he can do?"


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Well, I'm not sure about the beginning but the ending is just totally dedicated to xoxMusicalxox Thanks for letting me use it :) Well, it's 1AM over here :O I guess I should go to bed now.**

**Don't own HSM x

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Since Gabriella had agreed to stay at the ranch, she had started taking more and more of her possessions over and had started to sleep there, more or less, every night. That wasn't so bad. In fact, to Troy, that was the best part of their relationship. You'd think that now that Gabriella had started making her presence known and she was taking more of an active maternal role with Kaden, Troy would be enjoying everything. That wasn't the case. At least, not while Gabriella wasn't bothering to wear the clothes she had hung ever so neatly, in a very precise order, in his closet. Okay, she wore one pair of grey sweatpants and, of course, her underwear. But, other than that, she wore one of his shirts. Each morning, she would shower, dry her hair, very elegantly pull her sweats from the sweats section on her side of the closet and then move to Troy's side of the closet and pull out a shirt. After dressing, she would tie her hair up in a messy bun and then proceed downstairs. She would greet Kaden with a kiss on the forehead and then make herself some cereal. After the dishes were safely loaded in the dishwasher, she would sit at the island, place her glasses on her nose and then open her discarded briefcase from the previous day. That was her routine. From that night at the restaurant, that was what she did every day. She worked at Troy's house, not the ranch and Troy knew she had no plans of changing that. In a week, there was another meeting and Troy was praying it would be over soon. He couldn't stand to see Gabriella so tense and whatever stress reliever he tried, whether it was seduction, food or simply watching a movie, she refused.

She was okay with Kaden. Whatever Kaden asked for, he got. Naomi, too. But, everyone else? They were ignored. All because of the stupid divorce of his parents. He was on the verge of falling to his knees and begging Meaghan to reconsider. He wanted Gabriella to move in and to spend every possible second together...not for her to be a workaholic. To be honest, he didn't know why he was so surprised. He had sort of figured out that Austin's presence within the divorce would kick start her mind into overdrive until it was all she could think about.

He was first in line to admit that he didn't know his girlfriend all that well. He knew there were still elements of her he had yet to discover. However, he knew her well enough to know that she didn't work to this intensity with every case placed in front of her. She just hoped she didn't make herself ill due to the rate she was working. That's the last thing either of them needed. But, Troy had soon learnt to just let Gabriella be. She was kind of scary when she was in her crazy work head.

So, instead of spending Troy's day off with Gabriella, he had called the guys up and arranged to have a basketball game in the park. Ryan would watch Kaden and Naomi while the rest of them played. As it had been for years, Troy and Chad were against Zeke and Jason. It had started years ago in middle school when they had first met while trying out for the basketball team. They immediately hit it off but also noticed the competitiveness within each of them and the potential they all held. After the try-outs there was a free period and they stayed behind and played two-on-two and the teams just stayed the same. Usually, Troy and Chad would win. Not because they were necessarily better but Chad had an awful habit to sulk if he lost.

"How's Gabi doing?" Chad asked as they took a break. He took a swig of his water and ran a hand through his hair.

Troy held a hand up. "Don't even go there."

"Someone's grumpy," Jason commented.

Troy groaned as he wiped his forehead. "I just want this stupid thing over with so I can have her back. She barely speaks anymore."

"Sounds like someone's sexually frustrated," Chad commented.

"I went three years without it," Troy exclaimed.

"But, you didn't see Ellie every day," Zeke commented.

"It's not that," Troy said with determination.

Jason raised his eyebrows. "Really? Then what is it?"

Troy sighed. "She's working too hard. She's blocking everyone out. Except Kaden and Naomi and she doesn't want to scare them. But, she's scaring me. Every time I suggest she just relaxes for one hour, she bites my head off."

"And you want some action upstairs," Chad added.

Troy glared. "Okay, fine. But, not just that. I want her to at least talk to me, other than telling me to leave her alone. This divorce has her working every second of the day. That can't be healthy."

"Sound familiar?" Zeke asked quietly, slowly twisting the cap back onto his water bottle.

Troy frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Chad fiddled with his hands. "That's what you were like before Gabi came along. When you weren't working, you were with Kaden and convincing us that you were okay. You seemed to forget that we've known you for years and knew when you weren't okay. You weren't fooling us."

"Okay. So, what do I do?" Troy asked helplessly. "This divorce is wrecking everything that was perfect."

"You need to wake her up and tell her that she needs some breaks. Working like that isn't healthy," Jason advised.

Troy scratched his cheek. "I know. But, it's getting her to listen. I don't know how to do that."

Chad clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "You'll find a way, you always do."

Troy sighed. "I hope you're right."

* * *

Troy walked through the front door and inhaled deeply. He could smell coffee and bacon. If he knew her as well as he hoped he did, she was eating a bacon and egg bagel. He shut the door and walked through to the kitchen. As he predicted, Gabriella was sitting there in her sweats, one of his blue shirts, her hair tied messily in a bun and her glasses perched on her nose. She was hunched over the island counter scribbling furiously and a bacon and egg bagel was sitting on a plate next to her.

"Gabi?" he said softly, standing behind her.

"Hey," she murmured.

Troy brought his hand up in front of her face, presenting her with a large bouquet of a rainbow of daisies. "I thought I'd surprise you."

Gabriella smiled slightly and inhaled deeply. "They're lovely. Thank you." She set them to the side and continued working, sifting through the mountains of paperwork before her.

Troy's face fell. "Gabi..."

"I'm working," she muttered robotically.

"Don't overwork yourself just because of that bastard. He's not worth it. Please," Troy whispered.

Gabriella sat back against his chest and lifted her coffee cup to her lips. "Just let me finish this case. There's a meeting in a week. I need to be ready."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. "You will be, I promise."

She sighed and set her cup down. "But,"

Troy dropped his arms from her and shook his head. He left the kitchen, leaving a bewildered Gabriella behind. He returned a moment later and slammed a photo down on the counter. "Gabi, what would she think?"

Gabriella looked down on the picture of a beautiful blonde haired woman smiling back at her. She was in a simple bikini top and a sarong. She was at a beach somewhere. It didn't look exotic enough for Hawaii but possibly California. She didn't have to think twice about who this incredibly beautiful, happy young woman was. "I don't know her and never will," she muttered, pushing the picture aside and, once again, returning to her work.

Troy groaned. "But you know me! I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything about you but I know a hell of a lot. I know that you don't work this hard over the standard case handed to you."

He sighed and sat next to her, taking her hand in his. "Gabi, I love you. I just care about you and don't want you to be straining yourself. You didn't work this hard before. If it's because Austin is involved then please stop it."

Gabriella looked away and sighed. "Can't you just let me do this my way?" she whispered.

"No," Troy yelled, making her flinch. "We don't even make out anymore after Kaden's gone to bed. Other than when you're asleep, when was the last time you let me touch you?"

Gabriella fidgeted uncomfortably. "I don't know."

Troy rubbed his eyes. "I don't know what you want me to do. I'm here all the time to talk to, I bring you flowers, cook you meals and yet you still won't pay me any attention."

Gabriella frowned and lifted her head. "Is that what this is about? You want me to pay you some attention? Well, I'm sorry that I'm working so hard to keep your home!" she exploded.

"You're overworking yourself and I don't want you to be ill, Ellie!" he yelled angrily, immediately paling as he registered what he'd just said. He watched, shocked at himself, as Gabriella took her glasses off and wiped the lenses with her shirt. "Gabi?" he whispered as she replaced them to her nose. As he moved to touch her hand, she moved hers away. "I'm sorry."

"No," she murmured. "You're not. I'm trying too hard, I know. It is to do with Austin, I'll admit that much. I can't let him win. I'm not going to just sit back and watch him give the ranch to Meaghan on a silver platter. I can't let him think I'm a pushover. If you can't handle that, I'll stay at my place until this is over. Like you said: I don't usually work this hard." She gathered her papers and slipped them neatly into her briefcase. She kissed his cheek and then slipped off of the stool, heading towards the hall.

Troy cringed as he heard a door slam. Why could he get through to her? When he tried to convince to stop for a short while, he ended up pushing her away. How did that figure? And the worst part of her speech was that she never even mentioned the fact that he'd called her Ellie. She was right: he wasn't sorry and he couldn't help that. For one split second, he had seen Ellie sitting beside him. It took him back to before Kaden was born. She was seven weeks pregnant. She had been happy to continue working as a horse instructor on the ranch but Troy was protesting, saying it was too dangerous. However, Ellie adored her job and reacted just as powerfully as Troy was. It seemed insane and a stupid thing for the two of them to get so angry about but neither of them could help it. Ellie wanted to stay independent for at least a little while and Troy wanted to protect them both. It had eventually been resolved after making love and they had both bargained for Ellie to work part time.

It was the same here. Troy wanted Gabriella to slow down and Gabriella wanted to speed up. He supposed that Gabriella believed that the faster she worked, the quicker Austin would leave. He couldn't blame her. He wanted Austin to leave, too. But, Troy couldn't stop the thought of Gabriella making herself mentally, if not physically, ill. He'd already lost one woman he loved, he wasn't going to lose her, too. He couldn't.

* * *

The following day, without success of breaking through to Gabriella, Troy collapsed into his desk chair, savouring the brief moment he had between patients. The very good news was that she was still at the ranch. She was still temperamental about every little thing but she was there and they were still sharing a bed. He just couldn't get the thought of her leaving or becoming ill out of his head.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Kaden had noticed it. That was the trouble. Although Kaden was only three, he was incredibly smart and knew when things were wrong. With the divorce, for instance. He instantly figured out that Gabriella was acting weird and stayed quiet unless he was around Troy. Troy tried to keep his patience with Gabriella but it was becoming increasingly difficult. The guys were right. He wanted to make love to her again. He just wanted her to know that she didn't have to fight this alone.

He shook his head and checked his appointment schedule before slowly getting up and stretching his stiff back muscles. He walked into the waiting room and opened his mouth...then shut it. It wasn't necessarily an anger-inducing scene before him...just unfair. Not for him, exactly. It simply reminded him that the reaction that Gabriella felt after seeing Austin again wasn't simply because of him leaving her alone. She had had his baby inside of her and seeing him again after everything was surely ripping her apart.

A woman who had been in Troy's class at East High had come in with her dog for it to be castrated. But, at that moment, she was surrounded by the receptionist and the two nurses were crowding her and her newborn daughter. The miracle of life...and Gabriella had to miss out on it. It wasn't fair. Troy suddenly felt anger and strode forward, tapping the receptionist on the shoulder. "Missy, get someone to cover me."

Missy frowned. "Troy, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he answered as he shrugged his lab coat off. "Or, I will be. I'm sorry." He handed her his lab coat before running out of the surgery.

* * *

Gabriella jumped at the sound of the bangs reverberating from the front door. She took her glasses off and glanced at the clock. Almost 2:45PM. Troy wasn't due home for almost two more hours. The banging was persistent and Gabriella rose from her island stool, scraping a finger through her messy hair. She slowly approached the front door, eyeing up the umbrella beneath the coat hooks. Her eyes turned back the silhouette she could see through the patterned glass and clenched and unclenched her fists as she took the final step towards the door. She reached her arm out, wrapping her slender fingers around the black door handle. Her first inkling was that it was Austin but before her last strand of courage snapped, she yanked the handle down and pulled the door open.

Her eyes widened as she realised that the figure she had feared was, in fact, Troy. He was breathing heavily, not out of exhaustion...something she couldn't put her finger on. His eyes were dark, very dark as if he was angry. "Troy?" she whispered. "What is it?"

He released a sound halfway to a growl and in record time, he leapt forward, shut the door and pinned Gabriella against the wall. He connected their lips together in a passionate kiss. His hands were wandering everywhere he could touch, grabbing fistfuls of material to stop him from stripping her down and making love to her right then. He pushed her further against the wall, deepening the kiss.

As soon as Gabriella's back collided with the wall, she released a moan into the kiss, feeling a wave of passion crash over her. She had to fight the urge to happily welcome Troy's tongue but she was more concerned with what he was doing home, knowing it was too early for his shift to be over. Usually, in normal circumstances, she would have her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, pulling them closer together. However, her hands were frantically pushing at Troy's arms, trying to push him away.

When he realised that she wasn't parting her lips, he moved his kisses to her neck instead. She was certain there'd be marks but concentrated on gathering oxygen in her lungs. "Troy," she gasped. "Please stop."

He growled into her neck, continuing his gentle nips on her skin. His hands still wandered feverishly, gripping the hem of the shirt she was wearing. He pulled back to pull it quickly over her head and looked her in the eyes. "I want you," he murmured lowly. "I want you right now." He dipped his head again, lavishing kiss and gentle nips upon her shoulders, neck and breasts.

Gabriella threw her head back against the wall breathlessly, feeling the built up tension being released as Troy worshipped, however viciously, her body. "Oh, Troy, please. What's this about? Please stop."

Troy paused, breathing softly into the crook of her neck. He lifted his head, his hands resting softly on the small of her back, and searched her eyes for any protests but only finding want. He swallowed hard, tears gathering in his eyes. "Don't you want me to? I mean, I can...I can stop...If you want me to."

Gabriella paused, diverting her eyes to his torso which was unfortunately hidden by his shirt. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She knew what she was doing was wrong and exactly what her friends warned her not to do. But, she couldn't help it. She did admit to herself that she wanted him, too. She wanted to feel him again, to feel him moving as one with hers. But, she was still confused as to why he was home so early.

She lifted her head and Troy immediately pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Shh..." he soothed. "You don't have to say anything." He leaned down and kissed her softly, a stark contrast to the rough caresses from a mere minute ago.

Gabriella ran her hands beneath his shirt, making it rise up his torso. He pulled back, allowing her to pull it from his body. She pulled him back to her, welcoming his soft lips. She pulled back and giggled breathlessly. "I have work."

He shook his head. "No you don't. You're working too hard and you know it, too. Please," he murmured, pressing his lips to the hollow behind her ear, "let me love you. Let me love you," he repeated. He kissed her softly and gathered her into his arms, carrying her up the stairs.

* * *

Gabriella awoke after a blissful sleep to the soothing smell of coffee. She opened her eyes and saw the sun slightly lower in the sky. She twisted her head and saw that it had been a little over an hour since Troy's return home. Troy wasn't there. He wasn't lying beside her like he had been. She looked towards the floor and breathed a sigh of relief. His pants were still there, even though his boxers weren't.

She relaxed back into the soft pillows and giggled to herself as she thought about the pleasurable time she and Troy had shared. How they had reacquainted themselves with one another, giving and receiving pleasure. Although, it appeared to Gabriella that troy was intent with giving more pleasure than receiving. They had moved together, perhaps a little roughly, but that had simply meant that it felt different, more special. They had moaned, whispering each other's names and sweet words of love.

There was a creak and Gabriella turned to the door, smiling when she saw Troy enter in his boxers, carrying two cups of coffee. He smiled weakly as he set the cups on the bedside cabinet and pushed his boxers to the ground. He climbed back into bed and wrapped his arms around her. Gabriella turned more to him and kissed his chest in welcome.

Troy released a strange noise, almost a whimper and she looked up, gasping in horror when she saw tears rolling down his cheeks. She sat up next to him, holding the comforter to her body. "Troy? Whatever's wrong?"

He sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry."

Gabriella laughed and shook her head. "Why?"

He spoke with a cracked voice, unwilling to meet her eyes. "I...I forced you and was too rough. I mean...I really mean it: I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive me. I'm sorry," he repeated.

Gabriella enveloped him in her arms, kissing his cheek. She stroked his face, making him shudder with pleasure. "Hey, what's this about? Troy, look at me." She waited until he reluctantly connected their eyes. "What are you talking about? You did nothing wrong. We did nothing wrong. You seduced your girlfriend. That's no crime."

Troy laughed harshly. "Seduced. People would class that as rape!"

Gabriella frowned. "Rape? Since when? I consented, of course I did. I mean, I love you and I love making love to you. It's not rape."

"It feels like it. I violated you. I'm sorry," he muttered. "I was too rough."

Gabriella sighed. "Troy, listen to me. Do I look like I was just raped? Or do I look like a girl who was just making love to the guy she loves?"

"The latter," he mumbled.

"Exactly. We made love," she exclaimed and punctuated it with a kiss. She pulled back and smiled in relief when she saw Troy return it. She settled back into the bed. "Thank you," she murmured. "Shar, Tay and Kels warned me not to get obsessed but I couldn't help it."

Troy settled next to her and shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"Quarter to three...I didn't think your shift finished that early," she commented.

Troy buried his face in her neck. "I wanted to be home," he mumbled.

"To have sex with me? Come on, Troy. I know you," she whispered.

He sighed and leaned up on his elbow. "There was an owner of a dog in the waiting room today and she had her newborn baby with her. And it made me realise that none of this is fair on you. It wasn't just a break up you had been carrying his baby and...I just realised that it will hurt you but I don't want you to be even more hurt. I just thought that none of it was fair on any of us. And I needed you back. I wanted you." He shrugged sheepishly.

"I love you," she breathed.

He frowned and chuckled. "I say that and you say you love me? I love you, too." He climbed over her and the sound of Gabriella's giggles of delight echoed in the room.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Well, xLeeRamdomx will be extremely happy to know this is here! Woohoo! I saw 'Valentine's Day' yesterday and loved it :) No, wait, I saw it Saturday. Anyway, um, I spent my day procrastinating by doing this. But, don't expect an update for quite a while. Tons of assignments to complete o.O Enjoy :)**

**don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Troy groaned tiredly and rolled towards Gabriella, groping blindly to hold her by the waist and then pull her closer. He buried his face into the pillows and tried desperately to remember the blissful dream he had been having. He frowned when he felt a hand stroke his hair. "You're awake," he mumbled.

"No kidding. You were sleeping like a rock. I'm glad you've got the afternoon shift again. You'd have been late," Gabriella commented as she kissed his temple.

Troy lifted his head from the pillows to see her sat up, leaning against the headboard, glasses perched on her nose and a book spread in her lap. She had one of the sheets covering her chest and one arm around Troy. He narrowed his eyes. "You're not working, are you?"

Gabriella laughed. "Hell no. I'm just reading my book. I woke up an hour ago and didn't want to wake you."

"Hmmmm..." he murmured into the side of her breast. He began planting kisses on her arm, trailing them up, over her slender shoulder, her beautiful throat which was slightly covered in love bites, and up to kiss her lips. He pulled back and stroked her face. "God, you're so beautiful."

She blushed, glancing down at her book. "Thank you."

He chuckled. "And those glasses make you look ridiculously sexy."

She gasped and shut her book, smacking his arm with it. "Troy."

He chuckled, nuzzling his nose with hers. "It's true." He turned to the clock and frowned. "Where's Kaden?"

She smiled as she set her book on the bedside cabinet and placed her glasses neatly on top. "Taylor called a while ago. She asked if she could watch him as he and Naomi wanted to go to the park, apparently. He's fine."

He shook his head. "Wow. It's been years since I spent a night like that. I think I'm getting old."

She giggled in amusement. "Is that a grey hair?" she teased.

"Funny," he said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

As Troy settled into a sitting position beside her with his arms around her, Gabriella moved her head to the crook of his neck and moved her hand slowly up and down his arm, her bracelet gently scraping his skin. "Troy?"

"Mmmmm..." he muttered contentedly.

She looked up to meet his eye. "Someday, could I maybe see pictures of Ellie? If that's okay..."

He chuckled. "You want to see some now?"

She nodded. "If you want to."

Troy climbed out of bed and went over to the closet. He brought a large scrapbook and climbed back beneath the blanket. They rolled onto their stomachs as he opened the front cover. There were two envelopes glued to the first name, one with Troy's name and the other with Ellie's name. He fingered them gently and smiled. "We started this six months into our relationship. I mean," he chuckled lightly and shook his head. "I mean, I knew what we had was special and I knew I wanted her forever. It was my idea because I had piles and piles of notes she had written me. Some were pointless, simply telling me she loved me and others were telling me that she wanted another date. And we started this."

Gabriella wrapped an arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You don't have to do this."

"But you want me to," he murmured. "In our senior year, about two months before graduation, we were both terrified of going to college. In high school, everything seemed perfect and that it would never end and it would be perfect forever. But, there was that prospect that it would end. So, I suggested we wrote letters to each other about what we wanted the future to be. They were exactly the same."

Gabriella pointed at Ellie's envelope. "Your handwriting hasn't got any better."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm a guy, I don't care what my handwriting is like." He breathed a nostalgic sigh. "We both wanted to move away for college, we were both accepted to the University of California in Berkley. We wanted to move back to Albuquerque and live on the ranch together. We planned to buy this house and we wanted a family. A big one. I'd loved having Mikey around and she was an only child and spent the majority of her childhood wishing she had had a brother or sister around."

Gabriella looked down at the wrist with the bracelet on, watching as Troy's fingers wrapped around hers. "Troy?"

He looked at her and frowned worriedly at the forlorn, almost sad expression. "Baby? What is it?"

She laughed through a few tears and squeezed his hand. "No, I'm fine. I'm just thinking...When we first met, I asked you if you wanted more children. Does that mean..."

Troy nudged her cheek with his nose, making her giggle. "Well, yeah. I said that I did. And I do. Do you?"

She sniffed and nodded as she faced him. "Yeah. After everything, it's just made me want it more. And I was like Ellie. After I saw Shar and Ry and now you and Mike, I realise how lonely I was growing up."

"Are you scared?" he whispered.

She swallowed and nodded. "I'm terrified. I don't want to go through that again, even though I'll have you beside me. I don't want you to go through that again if I die, either. But, I'm terrified of not being a good mother. When I was born, my mother had post natal depression. What if I have it, too? I don't want that to happen. And I'm terrified that you'll leave me."

He stared at her in shock. "What? Gabi, baby, let's start at the beginning. Post natal depression. It's very common but there's help out there. And me leaving? I've told you. I need you and can't live without you." He kissed her gently and pulled back. "You can't worry about that stuff. None of us know if it's going to happen or not. When you get pregnant, you're supposed to enjoy it. You're supposed to enjoy weird cravings and hormones that make you hate me."

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

"So stop your worrying, okay? It's going to be fine." Troy kissed her again.

She smiled across at him and then glanced down at their interlinked fingers. Her eyes caught a picture of Troy and she giggled, pulling the album closer. "Troy, what are you wearing?"

Troy chuckled and nodded fondly at him in a tight sky blue suit. "Our first date. I went shopping and the guys persuaded me to try it on."

"It suits you," she commented sarcastically. They were silent for a moment as they flicked through the many pictures of Troy and Ellie together. There was a peace that hadn't been there before. Whether it was because Gabriella finally had confidence to fight against Austin, and that confidence was because of Troy, or if it was because they were looking at pictures, she couldn't be sure. It could just be the fact that they were naked after a night of making glorious love and simply enjoying each other's company. But she liked it.

"I love you," she murmured.

Troy frowned and lifted his head. "I think we established that a while back. I love you, too. What..."

She smiled. "I was just thinking. This moment is really beautiful and I think I just fell a little bit more for you. I was scared of getting my heart broken again. And I was afraid of you and the way that you make me feel. But, I don't want it to stop."

Troy closed the photo album and placed it on the cabinet. He pushed Gabriella back and climbed over her, admiring her body as he went. "It won't."

She smiled and stroked his arm. "Troy, have you talked to Kaden about Ellie's death?"

Troy sighed and used one hand to run it over his face. "A little bit. I mean, he's so young. Every time I come close to it, I chicken out."

"It's going to be hard," she offered. "And I'd do it for you but you need to do it. Especially with the divorce. Troy, he's a smart kid. He's figured it all already but you need to tell him. He talked to me the other day about it. You need to talk to him. Promise me."

He nodded. "I promise." He inhaled deeply. "I don't want him to hate me."

Gabriella frowned. "Why would he hate you?"

"Every guy hates their dad at some point," Troy exclaimed.

"Even you?" she whispered.

He shrugged. "Even me. My last year of middle school. My dad was pressuring me to really practice basketball so that I'd get on the high school team. You know, he was practicing me so hard and I hated him so much. Then I got to East High and the training wasn't as intense which was really ridiculous, actually."

"Has Mikey ever hated him?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. "Yeah. When he was thirteen, he wanted drum lessons and Dad said no because he thought Mikey would quit. So Mikey hated him for that and Dad gave in. Mikey had two lessons...and quit."

Gabriella laughed. "Well, what you've got to remember is that it won't be forever and you still have me."

He smiled softly. "I know." He held her in his arms and grinned down at her. "Now come here," he murmured as he leaned down, connecting their lips in a deep kiss.

* * *

Gabriella was gazing idly out of the kitchen window as she waited for the kettle to boil. She was dressed casually in some skinny jeans and a pale blue blouse. Her parents had just called and got her thinking. Was it really possible to live in Albuquerque while her parents were in Silicon Valley? They weren't exactly spring chickens anymore, they were pushing sixty and she wanted them to be around to be grandparents for Kaden and to see her get married and someday be around for her children, too. It seemed crazy to have to fly a thousand miles to see her parents. She couldn't leave Albuquerque, especially as she knew Troy couldn't, either. After everything she went through, she wanted Greg and Maria to simply see her enjoying life with a guy that made her happy.

She sighed as the kettle clicked off and she poured the boiling hot water into the two coffee cups and stirred them both. She yawned and held a hand to her mouth. She was never having a night like that again. It was too tiring. She was sounding old but didn't care. Troy had truly tired her out and she was almost certain he was feeling the same. After their conversation whilst looking at the pictures, they had made love again and Gabriella had finally persuaded Troy to get out of bed at ten thirty. She twirled some hair around her finger and continued to stare out of the window.

Gabriella smiled when a thought struck her. She needed to get Troy's and Mike's permission for the possible ownership of the ranch. That meant Troy would be at the meeting. Austin wouldn't dream of touching her if Troy was there. And she'd be more confident... It could work. And Kaden could be there, too. He could give a statement about his life on the ranch.

She shook her head and her flitting moment of optimism ended and the want of having her parents in Albuquerque returned. They had been her best friends when she was growing up and she just...missed them. She was too proud to actually ask them to move and she knew they were happy. She just wanted them to be around.

She felt two arms wrap around her and she smiled, leaning back against Troy's chest. She rested her hands on his arms and closed her eyes in bliss. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty," she murmured.

Troy groaned, resting his chin on his shoulder. "I loved last night and all, it was really beautiful and you were amazing. But, it tired me out."

Gabriella yawned again, holding a hand to her mouth. "Me too."

Troy lifted one of the coffee cups to his lips and sipped it. "Just what I needed."

"You're addicted to that stuff," Gabriella commented as she turned in his arms.

Troy smirked and lifted her up onto the counter. "Maybe," he murmured. "What were you thinking about before I came downstairs?"

She shook her head as she picked up the other coffee cup. "It's nothing. It's not important."

He raised his eyebrows. "Gabi," he murmured.

She sighed, holding her cup in her lap. "I was thinking about my mom and dad. A thousand miles away. That's all. I just miss them. They're not getting any younger and I kind of want them down here. Not just for me, I want Kaden to have them as grandparents all of the time, not just when we have a vacation. I want them to see how happy I am and that I'm stronger than I was...because of you."

Troy kissed her nose sweetly and smiled. "Why don't you ask them?"

She sighed. "I don't know. They love Cali so much."

"They love you more," he pointed out.

She nodded. "I know. I'll talk to them after this case is closed. I'm going to call Austin later."

Troy narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Gabriella set her coffee cup on the counter and wrapped her arms around his neck as his wound around her waist. "Calm down."

"I am calm," he growled.

"Troy," she warned.

Troy breathed out deeply. "I'm calm," he whispered.

"Good." She kissed his forehead. "I'm calling him because I want you and Mike and Kaden at the meeting."

Troy frowned. "How..."

"Well, we need to discuss the possible ownership of the ranch and I just want you there," she admitted. "You make me feel safe."

"You are," he promised whilst nudging his nose against hers. "As long as I'm here."

She smiled and nodded. "I know."

Troy's smile fell a bit. "Baby, have you looked in the mirror this morning?"

She frowned and nodded. "Sure. Why?"

He chuckled a bit and shook his head. "Nothing."

She glared. "Troy, what is it? Tell me."

"Remember last night?" he asked cautiously. "Well, um..." He pointed to her neck.

Gabriella groaned and slapped his shoulder. "I hate you," she grumbled as she gently rubbed her neck.

Troy chuckled. "That isn't what you said last night," he murmured as he kissed her. She responded slowly until their tongues were dancing intimately again. Not passionately. There seemed to be a telepathic agreement that their passion had been drained during the night and that the kiss wouldn't go any further.

"Daddy, Gabi," a voice called excitedly.

Troy groaned as he pulled back. "Damn it," he grumbled. "He's been spending too much time with Chad."

"Huh?" Gabriella asked, staring at him quizzically.

Troy laughed as he disentangled himself from her. "All through Ellie's and my relationship, Chad constantly interrupted. Whether it was just a quick make out or if," he paused as he glanced to the doorway and bent down in time for Kaden to run into his arms. He stood up, resting his son on his hip. He finished his sentence: "we were..._reading_. The first and only time that happened, Ellie couldn't be around Chad for a week."

"I can't blame her. When two people...um, read together, it's a special moment and to have Chad of all people interrupt? I wouldn't be able to see Chad for a month!" she exclaimed.

Troy chuckled. "That's true. But, now he's got Naomi so he's more concerned with her than causing me eternal embarrassment." He turned to Kaden and kissed his head. "Hey, champ. Did you have a nice sleepover?"

Kaden nodded. "We sure did. Naomi and I had loads of fun. We watched _Finding Nemo_ **(A/N: Love that film!)** and had popcorn and ice cream."

"Wow. That sounds like fun," Gabriella commented, still sitting on the counter.

Kaden suddenly frowned. "Gabi, what's that mark on your neck?"

Gabriella flushed slightly. "Oh, um, your daddy and I were reading last night and I..."

"...fell out of bed," Troy finished.

"I fell out of bed," she confirmed.

"Oh," Kaden murmured. "Did it hurt?"

Gabriella's eyes connected with Troy's. "No. It didn't."

"K, is it okay if I take you upstairs for a minute? I need to talk to you. And I'm sure Auntie Taylor is going to want to talk to Gabi, too." Troy brushed Kaden's blonde hair from his eyes and smiled encouragingly at him.

Kaden nodded. "Okay. Yeah."

Troy turned to Gabriella and kissed her sweetly. "It'll be fine," Gabriella promised.

Troy nodded and turned to carry Kaden up the stairs as Taylor entered the house. They entered Kaden's bedroom and Troy lay on his son's bed with Kaden by his side. He was silent for a while, gathering his thoughts. His eyes kept moving around the room, taking in the toys and colours and posters of Kaden's favourite movies and TV shows. Pictures were tacked to the walls in mismatched places. Mostly of Ellie and Naomi but a few of Gabriella had recently been added to his collection. He could imagine Kaden as growing up to be the type of person to make scrapbooks of pictures and notes from everybody that's important to him.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Kaden asked sweetly, looking up at Troy.

Troy nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "Kaden, I want to talk about your mommy, okay?"

Kaden nodded hesitantly. "Okay."

Troy sighed. "Your mom was a wonderful lady. She was a lot like Gabi, actually. She was smart and funny and sweet and caring and extremely beautiful, too. She made me a better person and she made me believe that I could do anything as long as she loved me. That's why I raised you. I knew she would've wanted me to."

Kaden frowned. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked sweetly.

Troy sniffed. "Because you're smart and I know you've figured things out. But you need to hear it from me." He took a deep breath. "Ever since the moment I first saw her, I wanted her to be mine forever. And when we got married and she got pregnant, it just seemed perfect."

Kaden watched his father carefully. "Do you miss her?"

Troy nodded, his glossy blue eyes finding his son's. "Every day. But, I see you and it's not so bad. You're like her in so many ways and I love that. I still love her. I'll love her till I die, probably. And I want it to be that way."

"But, you love Gabi, right?" Kaden asked.

Troy laughed and nodded. "I do. I love her so, so much. I'm madly in love with her. She makes my day better just by me waking up next to her and she's everything your mom was and she comforts me and I can cry in front of her. She makes me feel like a teenager again. I love them both equally. And I know your mom would've loved Gabi, too."

Kaden smiled slightly. "Would she have loved me?"

"She already did," Troy murmured.

"How?" Kaden asked, screwing his face up cutely.

Troy thought about his answer. "We hadn't long graduated college and we were living here. We were settling down and we'd been talking about starting a family. And you came along. She was so excited and I was, too. She would touch her stomach and the look that would be on her face was just beautiful. She loved you so much. I promise."

Kaden nodded slowly, trying to comprehend what Troy had said. "She sounds nice."

Troy chuckled. "She was." His laugh trailed off and he squeezed his son's shoulders. "Kaden, I know what you said to Gabi the other day." He looked down at the blonde haired boy. "She told me. Why would you think that?"

Kaden couldn't look at Troy's eyes. "I don't know," he muttered. "You always looked so sad. And I heard you and Auntie Kelsi talking one day about Mommy dying."

Troy sat up a bit, leaning against the headboard. He held Kaden tightly against him, trying to protect him from the pain and suffering of the world. Tears coursed down his cheeks and he pulled back from their embrace to frantically search his eyes. "Kaden, don't ever think that. What Gabi said is perfectly right. Your mom would've given birth to you even if she knew she'd die because of it. She would've given birth to you especially if she knew she was going to die. Sure, it would've been nice to have her along the way. She was everything to me and my best friend and, sure, I lost her. But I got you. And now I've got Gabi to be my everything and best friend. And she loves you just like your mom did. I mean, I miss your mom and love her every single day. But, I still wouldn't change it."

Kaden hugged Troy tightly. "I'm sorry Daddy."

Troy shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Just promise me that you won't think that I blame you ever again. Promise?"

Kaden giggled and nodded as they separated from their hug. "I promise."

Troy held his pinkie up. "Pinkie promise?"

Kaden laughed again, hooking his pinkie around Troy's. "Pinkie promise."

"Good. Now, you can play in here by yourself for a few minutes before I take you over to Grandpa's house, right?" Troy asked, ruffling his hair.

Kaden nodded and climbed off of the bed to go to his toy box. "Of course, Daddy."

"Good boy," Troy praised him.

"Daddy?" Kaden asked.

Troy turned to see Kaden kneeling on the floor with his trucks. "What's up?"

"What happened to Mommy?" he asked quietly.

Troy sighed. Although Kaden was smart, there was no way he was old enough to comprehend how Ellie had died. "Complications," he muttered. "I'll explain when you're older." He smiled as he left the room, shutting the door gently behind him. He turned around and wasn't surprised to find Gabriella leaning patiently against the opposite wall. He smiled slightly. "Was Tay and Naomi okay?"

Gabriella shrugged. "The usual. I'm more worried about a three year old boy and his father."

"Kaden's fine. I talked to him about everything. I think he'll be quiet for the rest of the day. He really loves you," he murmured.

Gabriella nodded slowly. "I know. So, what about you?" she asked quietly, staring at the floor.

Troy stepped forward and lifted her face to meet his gaze. He stroked her face and sighed gently. "I'm fine. Or I will be. I promise. It just brought back memories."

Gabriella smiled sadly. "Yeah. I kind of figured that would happen. But, I have to go and meet with your dad, so I'll just leave you..." She went to walk away but Troy held her arm tightly. She frowned at him. "Troy?"

He stepped closer and held her in his arms. "It brought back memories but I don't want you to leave. I need you right here next to me. It got me thinking. Are you going to stay?"

"With you?" she whispered.

Troy nodded, forcing the tears back. "Right here. Me and K."

"Do you want me to stay?" she asked, her hands resting lightly on his biceps.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Then I'll stay," she promised.

"Ellie said that," he said in a monotone. He noticed Gabriella's fallen smile and tightened his arms around her. "And she never left my side."

"Guardian angel?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Yeah."

She stroked his cheek with one of her hands. "I'm proud of you."

He rested his forehead on hers and breathed gently against her lips. "I'm proud of you, too. So proud," he murmured as he pressed his lips to hers and lifted her a couple of inches into the air to make it easier for his back and neck. The kisses were soft and sweet, gentle acts of reassurance for the other. Troy pulled back and slowly set Gabriella back on the ground again. They held each other in the hallway, revelling in the safe circle of arms the other offered.

* * *

Gabriella smiled as her boyfriend handed her another cup of coffee. She held her phone between her shoulder and ear as she wrapped her free arm around him. He smiled lovingly down at her as he wrapped her in his arms. He leaned down and Gabriella's mind blocked out the shrill ring in her left ear. The only thing she was thinking about were the memories of the pleasurable night they had shared together.

Their lips were just about to touch when Mike walked in. "Do you guys ever stop? You do know you have a son, right?"

Gabriella stepped away from Troy and blushed, concentrating on the persistent calling tone in her ear. Troy glared at his brother and picked his own coffee cup up. "Yes and I have an annoying brother, too. Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Mike nodded as he sat at the kitchen table which was covered in various papers. "Gabi asked me to join you guys to talk about the ownership of the ranch."

Gabriella smiled at Troy's face. "Troy, he's your brother."

They sat down at the table with Mike, sitting next to each other. Troy ruffled Mike's hair. "I know."

Gabriella let out a frustrated shriek as she shut her phone and dropped it onto the table. "Why isn't he answering? He's doing it to spite me."

Troy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "Calm down, baby."

Mike looked across at them and smirked. "Well, it certainly looks like you were both extremely busy last night."

Troy frowned. "What do you mean?"

Mike chuckled to himself. "Gabi, you might what some more cover up," he whispered.

She frowned. "I tried. It's your brother's fault," she grumbled and sipped her coffee.

Troy chuckled. "You didn't complain last-" He was interrupted by the ringing of Gabriella's cell phone.

She sighed and flipped it open. "Hello Austin."

"Sorry I missed your call," he offered.

"Hmmmmm. I suppose. I just want to request Troy's and Michael's presence at the next meeting to discuss possible ownership of the ranch. The way it's going at the minute, we're not going to find a satisfying agreement for Meaghan and Jack unless their sons step in," Gabriella explained, glancing at the two Bolton brothers staring at her.

Austin sighed. "I suppose that could work. Meaghan does seem to have a soft spot for her sons."

Gabriella frowned. "What do you mean?"

Austin cleared his throat. "Well, she just talks endlessly about them is all, really. I don't think she's shown them much affection but she certainly feels it."

Gabriella smiled slightly. "So, it's okay if Troy and Mike are there?"

"Yeah," Austin agreed. "Have them sign some papers before they come."

"Doing it now," Gabriella assured him. "I'll see you later, no doubt. Bye." She hung up and set the phone on the table. She shuffled through the papers until she found the ones she wanted. "You guys are prepared to own the ranch, aren't you?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. I'm up for it. I mean, Dad isn't going anywhere so it's not like we're going at it alone."

"Mike?" Gabriella asked. "You don't have to and it's only the last resort if we can't settle this agreement."

"Troy would be there, too, right?" he asked quietly as he took the forms from Gabriella and read them. "I mean, I'm starting college in September."

Gabriella smiled and she rested a hand on Troy's thigh beneath the table. "You can do it together. And like Troy said: Jack's not going anywhere. So he can still help and Lucy will still be here. It'll basically stay the same except you guys would have more power."

Mike frowned. "More responsibility."

"Mikey, I've been through college. I know I was in a different state, studying something different but I promise it's not that scary. Besides, I can handle it all until you graduate," Troy promised.

Mike smiled. "You really want to share this place with me?"

Troy nodded. "Of course. You're my brother. Who else would I share it with?" They grinned and bumped fists with each other.

"So, you're both agreeing to own the ranch if we can't agree on anything?" Gabriella asked.

Troy and Mike nodded in unison. "Yeah. This place is our home and I think Mike is going to be like me. Stay here his whole life."

"You got that right," Mike exclaimed.

"Great," Gabriella said cheerfully.

"And you'll be here," Troy murmured quietly.

Gabriella blushed and looked at him. "I promised," she whispered.

He smiled and kissed her sweetly. "I'm glad I met you," he murmured.

"Me too," she whispered.

"Hey, guys, sorry I'm...interrupting, apparently," Jack joked.

Mike groaned. "Please, be my guest."

Troy and Gabriella separated a little bit. "Funny," Troy said sarcastically.

Jack sat down next to Mike. "So, shall we get started?"

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "Most definitely." As she discussed various forms with the Bolton men, she felt excitement and happiness, a strange sense of euphoria flood her from her very core. This was her future family, the people that would surround her and help her and love her unconditionally. Although they hadn't necessarily talked about getting married, Gabriella knew that someday they would. Someday in the near future if she had it her way. But, for now, she was happy to simply settle Jack's divorce and know that whatever happened, Troy and her family would always be there.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Wow. Long chapter. I'm not thrilled with the ending but I've uploaded it, anyway. There won't be an update for any story for at least a week. Friday is my final deadline for my assignments so...maybe next Sunday. Chapter 8 of 'Love is forever' is already underway. The sad news is this story is almost over :(**

**Don't own HSM

* * *

**

Gabriella sat down on one of the bean bags in Troy's tree house and sighed. She leant against the wooden wall and crossed her arms. Today was the day. At roughly 2PM, she would be in her smart skirt and shirt and would be fighting for the ranch against Austin. She supposed she should've been nervous or re-visiting papers. But she wasn't. She was sitting alone in Troy's tree house, wearing a pair of black jeans and one of Troy's shirts and being hypnotised by the images tacked to the opposite wall. Kaden was sleeping and Troy was in the shower. She knew he'd figure out where she was which meant she also knew her time alone was limited. She wasn't exactly sure why she wanted to be alone, just that she did.

Something had been on her mind. Something that she knew shouldn't be botherin her but was. It wasn't serious and she knew it could wait. Some people who knew her story would think that the blonde woman staring back at her was a stranger. But the honest truth was that she wasn't. Gabriella knew that everything that Ellie had ever been was living on in both Troy and Kaden. And it was nice, she wasn't complaining. Kaden was very sweet and Troy was amazing. But...

That was the problem. Why was she thinking 'but'? That word simply complicated matters and, more often than not, ended relationships. She didn't want that. It was the last thing she wanted. She was finally happy and settling down and looking forward to the future. The thing that was making her think like this, the one doubt she had in the furthest corner of her mind was why Troy had called her Ellie a couple of days ago. She was the first to admit that neither of them were thinking straight and that both of them were stressed. But, she was still curious.

She loved Troy immensely, more than life itself. She cared for him and trusted him, too. She trusted that he loved her, too. But, she wasn't stupid or naive to the fact that he still loved Ellie. It wasn't only because he had admitted it. It was because when he talked about her, his face would change, his whole demeanour would transform into something he only showed when talking about Ellie. She just didn't know if he loved her more. Sure, he had known her for years and they were married but...There was that 'but' again.

She didn't want to doubt Troy, honestly she didn't. It was simply that what she had told him was true: she was scared to death of getting her heart broken again. Honestly, she didn't think he would break her heart. That seemed highly unlikely. Even so, she still didn't want to be with Troy, no matter how much she wanted to, simply to fill a gap in his life.

She felt guilty to be thinking this way. She felt sort of unfaithful, for another way to put it. It was like she didn't think he was true and she knew he was. She just wanted him to tell her that when he looked at her and when they made love, he was seeing her, not Ellie.

To someone else, her thoughts were probably laughable. They would say it was paranoia and that she was still suffering from Austin's harsh acts. But she wasn't. She was actually looking forward to the meetings to prove that she was over Austin and could still fight. She wasn't a helpless puppy anymore.

She groaned, closing her eyes. She didn't feel like Ellie was a threat. She just didn't want to be in competition with a _ghost_ for Troy's affections. It probably sounded disrespectful to Ellie and to her relationship with Troy but she...She wanted to be sure it was real. She didn't want to be drawn in by a fantasy again. She was certain that even if Troy was, for some unknown reason, with her simply to fill a gap in his life, she wouldn't leave. She couldn't.

The persistent creaks to her left confirmed her assumption that Troy would figure out where she was. She opened her eyes and fiddled with her hands, waiting for Troy to get there. A moment later, Troy crawled in and sat on the other bean bag. He took one of her hands in his and squeezed it. "Now why are you up here all alone?" he murmured.

She sighed, staring at the opposite wall. "Just thinking, really."

"About the meeting? Gabi, baby, you'll do fine. The amount of evidence you've got and-" he began.

"Troy!" she exclaimed. "Stop it. I'm not thinking about the meeting, okay? I feel fine about it, honestly. I was..." She sighed and diverted her eyes away from his. "I mean, I was thinking about...her."

Troy frowned and glanced at the pictures and then turned back to the Latino woman beside him. "Okay. Why?"

She shook her head, staring at her lap. "It doesn't matter."

"Well, if it made you come up here, yes it does," he said sternly. He brushed some hair from her face and frowned when she wouldn't meet his eyes. "Gabriella?"

She sighed when he used her full name. She could honestly say that there was only one other occurrence when he called her by her full name. She lifted her eyes. "What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing," he whispered. "I want you to tell me what's wrong. You can tell me anything. You know that. Or you should, at least. I won't judge you."

She nodded and brought her knees closer to her chest. "I know. I just feel like I'm being stupid, like I'm making a mountain over a molehill." She looked him in the eyes and shrugged. "It's probably my imagination."

"All the more reason to tell me. Then, I can tell you that you're being silly, we can make out and get ready for the meeting," he said encouragingly with a smile.

Gabriella smiled and gasped as she hit his head. She collapsed into giggles and fell into his chest, inhaling his addictive scent. "You jerk," she exclaimed jokingly. "It does sound nice, though."

The smile slipped from his face and he stroked her back soothingly with his hands. "I know you," he murmured, causing her to reconnect their eyes. "You're smart. If you _thought_ something was in your imagination, you'd _know_ it was. So, what is it?"

Gabriella's smile faltered as Troy settled against the wall and she settled against his chest. His embrace helped somewhat. It made it easier to find words to describe her feelings to Troy without possibly damaging what they had together. She took a deep breath and linked her fingers with Troy's that were resting on her stomach. She leaned her head back onto his shoulder and shut her eyes to hide her tears. "You remember a couple of days ago, right?" she whispered.

He kissed her hair soothingly. "Which couple of days ago? The couple of days ago when I came home from work and we made the most incredible love or the couple of days ago where you were working like a robot and wouldn't listen to me."

Gabriella laughed and opened her eyes. "The latter. You...This is going to sound picky and possibly childish. But, it's nagging at me." She sighed. "That day when you brought me flowers. You had been at the park with the guys and you came back with flowers, trying to get me to stop working for a minute. On that day, you got mad at me and..."

"...called you Ellie," he finished quietly.

"How'd you know that was what I was going to say?" she whispered.

He shrugged. "I know you," he said simply.

There was a moment of silence between them. "I know you were angry, I understand that. I know I was, apparently, making you sexually frustrated. But...it still kind of hurt a little bit."

He nodded. "I'm sorry. I know that doesn't really account for it but I am. I..."

She smiled slightly, extremely unconvincing in the circumstances. "I know." She made to move but Troy simply tightened his hold on her. "Let me go," she whispered, not sounding at all like she wanted to be out of his embrace.

"We're not finished," Troy said sternly.

Gabriella sighed. "How many other times have you wanted to call me Ellie?" she muttered.

Troy kissed the shell of her ear. "Never. I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean to call you Ellie."

She sat up and turned in his arms to face him. "I hate thinking like this and I don't want you to think that I don't trust you because I do. I think I'm just being paranoid. You know, after Austin and everything, this feels surreal. I just need to know that you're with me for me."

Troy frowned. "I'm not sure I get you..."

She sighed as tears rolled over her cheeks. "Please don't be mad for me thinking like this. Like I said: it's probably paranoia. I just need to know that you're with me because you want me to be here, not for me to simply..."

"...replace Ellie?" he whispered as a question.

She shrugged in embarrassment. "I feel horrible for thinking it but I need to know."

He nodded and pulled her closer to his torso. He kissed her sweetly and pulled back after a moment. "Gabi, when I look at you, kiss you or make love to you, I don't see Ellie. I promise. I feel her here but that's because I honestly believe she's my guardian angel. But, when we're together, I only see Gabriella Anna Maria Elizabeth Costa-Brava Montez."

A smile slowly spread over her face. "You...You memorised my name. Nobody's ever done that before. Except my parents, obviously."

"I know it's got to be hard for you. Especially as I've openly admitted that I'll always love Ellie. But I want you to know that ever since you told me about what happened in New York, I've been terrified that you'd go back to him, even before we became official. And that fear became stronger when you told me he was here in Albuquerque." He shrugged. "I don't think it'll fully go away because I'm just shocked that you're mine."

She stroked his cheek with her fingers, feeling some stubble there. "I would never ever do that."

He rolled his eyes. "I know that in my head. But, in my heart there's that fear that I'm going to lose you."

She rested her forehead against his, sighing gently against his lips. "I promised you I'd stay."

He closed his eyes and nodded. "I know."

She pulled back slightly, narrowing her eyes. "You haven't shaved yet."

He shrugged. "I was going to but I was worried about you."

She flushed slightly. "That's sweet."

Troy's smile slipped slightly. "As we're kind of confessing here, I might as well bring it into the open."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

He shifted her in his lap slightly. "Gabi, I love you so much. More than I thought possible. I mean, I didn't think I could love anyone like this ever again. But I can't help but notice that maybe..." He sighed. "Don't get mad, okay? I just feel that maybe you're acting maternally towards Kaden because..."

"...of you," she whispered. She nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't be. It's like you. You wanted to make sure I was true. It's simply my turn except I'm asking you to be true to Kaden. He's never had a mother after he was born." He stroked Gabriella's tears away. "I'm not criticising, I'm just..." He sighed, trying to find a way to express his thoughts. "You seem hesitant and you really need to put your all into it. I mean, you have a choice, I didn't."

"I never had a choice," she exclaimed.

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"When we first met I wanted you to be around. I was just relieved that someone kind of knew what I was going through. I wanted...no, needed you in my life and I knew Kaden was a package deal. I just...I'm scared. I don't want him to think I'm replacing Ellie or taking you away from him," she murmured in embarrassment.

Troy laughed. "You're taking me away from him? He shares me with about twelve other people including you. You're not taking me away from him. I don't think that and he doesn't think that. I promise. He loves you. I just want you to really take it on. You need to be confident. You're really great with him."

She sighed and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, bringing their faces closer together. "I just don't want to be a bad mother," she said in embarrassment.

He shrugged. "You've got me, okay? So it doesn't matter. I was terrified of being a bad father but I just did it. I asked my dad to help and he said that even though my mom was there when I was born, he was still scared. It's a part of it. You'll be fine, I promise. Do you trust me?"

She nodded fervently. "Of course."

"Trust me when I say you're a great mother and when you're more confident, you'll be even better," he whispered. He grinned and manoeuvred them both so that he was straddling her hips. "I promise you that when I look at you, I see you, not Ellie. And I promise you that you're a great mother. Kaden doesn't really care, to be honest. He's just happy I don't feel alone anymore."

She smiled up at him, running her hands over his arms and shoulders. "Well, I promise you that I'll try much harder to be Kaden's mother."

Troy grinned and leaned down, connecting their lips in a passionate kiss.

* * *

Gabriella glanced around the room, smiling as she watched Troy attempt to entertain Kaden whilst she and Austin prepared themselves. Troy and Mike were just like their father: uncomfortable but they cleaned up shockingly well. Gabriella could hardly take her eyes off of Troy. As she turned back to the paperwork in front of her, she raised her hand consciously to her neck again. The love bite that Troy had made almost three days ago was still there. She didn't think it was possible and no matter how much cover up she used, you could still see it! She couldn't really remember what Troy had been doing with his mouth, she had been concentrating on the mind boggling pleasure that-

She had to stop. She was at work, looking smart in her usual grey skirt, white blouse, man eater heels and her dark curls had been tamed into a neat bun. She placed a neat pile of papers on the table and sat down, smiling politely at the other occupants of the room. "Are we ready?"

Austin nodded and stood up. "Do you have the necessary forms?"

"Absolutely," Gabriella replied, placing a sheaf of papers in between them.

Austin glanced through them and nodded. "So this is our last resort." He eyed Gabriella. "Would you like to go first?"

She rose from her seat. "Thank you." She wandered over to where Kaden sat and crouched in front of him. "Hey sweetie."

"Hi Gabi," he mumbled, clearly nervous.

She shook her head. "Don't look at them. Look at me, okay? You don't have to be scared. You're not in trouble. I just want you to tell me what you like about your grandpa's ranch."

Kaden looked thoughtful for a moment. "Daddy lived there with Mommy and there are lots of animals."

Gabriella smiled encouragingly. "And do you help your daddy and grandpa to look after the animals?"

Kaden nodded his head excitedly. "And there are horses and Daddy lets me ride them sometimes."

"Do you like your grandpa owning it?" she asked softly.

Kaden smiled toothily. "I love Grandpa. He says that I can be basketball captain like Daddy was."

Gabriella thought about her next question. "What do you think it would be like if your daddy and Uncle Mike owned the ranch? Grandpa would still be there."

The small boy scratched his cheek. "That would be awesome. Would you be there?"

Gabriella glanced at Troy and smiled softly, directing her attention back to the small boy. "I would. Now, you've done great. Do you want to go downstairs? Denise has a milkshake waiting for you." She smiled and kissed his forehead. She rose and waited until the door was shut before she faced Austin. "See? He loves that place. He needs to stay there."

Meaghan mumbled something to Austin before he replied. "Meaghan is simply requesting ownerships. She never said they can't live there."

Gabriella crossed her arms, thinking hard. She quickly discussed something with the three Bolton men and then took her seat. "Would she change anything? Anything at all?"

"Probably," Austin replied instantly.

Gabriella inwardly groaned. This was going to take a while.

* * *

Gabriella was honestly considering banging her head repeatedly against a brick wall. Having Troy there certainly hadn't helped. Although she knew he'd protect her, she still felt violated when Austin was blatantly checking her out. It was so obvious, it was unbelievable. She supposed from Meaghan's facial expression that she was on the verge of tearing his eyes out. Couldn't he simply keep his hormones in check and get the message that she found him an incompetent jerk? Obviously not. And not only that, they still hadn't figured out a solution.

She shook her head to herself as she stood up and began to reorganise her paperwork. Jack shook her hand, as did Mike before they left the room, heading down the stairs. Troy hugged her gently, giving her a kiss of praise before saying that he was going to see Jack, Kaden and Mike off and promising to be back in a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, Meaghan was discussing something quietly with Austin and Gabriella tried to focus on what she was doing, knowing that she really shouldn't eavesdrop but she couldn't help mentally flashing a red alert when she heard the words 'Ranch,' and 'Money.' She shook the thoughts out of her head. Meaghan seemed nice, honestly. Although she had ill feelings towards Jack, she didn't seem the type of person to ruin her sons' and grandson's home. Gabriella would go so far as to say she was on the verge of backing out.

Meaghan gathered her belongings and left, bidding Gabriella a polite 'goodbye' to which she simply replied with a nod. It was only then did she realised she was alone with Austin. Alone with a guy who was adamant to get her back. She glanced at him through her glasses and it appeared it went unnoticed as he copied her task of sorting through paper work. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and concentrated solely on the paperwork in front of her. Unconsciously, she took her shoes off, thankful for the soothing feel that the cold hardwood flooring provided for her feet.

She glanced at the door, wondering what the hell was taking Troy so long. Or maybe she was being paranoid. It probably wasn't actually that long since he left and she was simply anxious to be in Austin's company. She slipped her needed paperwork into her briefcase and then locked it, glad that the divorce was over for another day. She wasn't a betting person but she was willing to bet her life savings that Mike and Troy would end up owning the place.

"You know, Gabi," Austin murmured in her ear.

She jumped and scurried back a few paces. She placed a hand over her heart, trying to regain her composure. "Austin, you scared me. And I'd prefer it if you called me Gabriella," she said sternly. She felt like a little mouse...and Austin was the cat. It was just a matter of time before he stopped playing with her and simply...had his way. "Now, if you'd excuse me," she said politely. Austin held his arm out, preventing her from going past him. He pushed her back until she was against the wall. She struggled, of course she did. But, she was no match for him. She was weak, helpless and on the verge of crying. "Please, Austin. Let me go," she ordered, trying to sound fearless but the slight stutter at the end betrayed her.

He held her arms above her head, smirking down on her. "You know, Gabi, I would've thought you'd be smart enough to use cover up," he murmured, leaning down to press his lips to her cheek.

She gasped and manoeuvred her head just enough so that he could be touching her face. "Get away," she growled. "And it's none of your business."

He pushed his pelvis into hers, making her groan with discomfort. "You've been a naughty girl. You never let me have sex with you the night before a meeting in New York."

"It wasn't last night," she hissed. "It's none of your business."

Austin held both wrists above her head with one hand and his other hand travelled down, groping at her breasts. "You think that now but just imagine what I can do to you right here, right now." He leaned down and kissed her ferociously, ignoring her muffled protests and her kicking feet which really weren't making a difference. When he realised she wasn't going to part her lips, he moved down to bite and suck harshly at her neck, especially the love bite that Troy had created.

She gasped in pain and tears finally dripped over her cheeks. This was it. She had convinced herself that this was it. Austin was finally going to get his way. He was going to violate her, maim her...rape her. "TROY!!!" she yelled with every last ounce of breath she had. The tears came harder as Austin's hand worked on the buttons of her blouse. She faintly heard thumps from the direction of the stairs but wondered if it was simply blood rushing through her tears.

Austin's body was taken away from hers and she slid down the wall, curling into herself. She opened her eyes and saw Troy and Austin throwing punches at each other. She was whimpering to herself and watching fearfully the aggressive fight in front of her. She wasn't an expert but she was pretty certain that Troy was stronger. She jumped as Troy lifted Austin off of the floor and threw him over the table, landing in a mess of papers and chairs. In a flash, Austin was back around to Troy, trying to punch him in the nose. Troy lifted Austin by his neck and thrust him against the wall.

Gabriella gasped and leapt to her feet. "Troy, let go," she pleaded.

"I intend to kill him," he growled as Austin tried desperately to push Troy away. However, the angered man simply held his ground.

Gabriella touched his arm, making Troy turn to her. "Please. He's not worth it."

Troy let Austin fall to the floor. "You bastard," he hissed angrily. "How fucking dare you? If you ever cared about her, why would you force yourself on her? You make me sick." He turned to Gabriella and embraced her tightly, refusing to admit that the embrace was hurting him. "Baby, I'm here. Don't let go," he murmured.

She shook her head, crying into his chest. "Never," she whimpered. She held onto him tighter, making him wince. She gasped as the realisation dawned on her and she pulled back, finally taking in Troy's scrapes, cuts and bruises that were already forming. "Oh my god!"

Troy shook his head. "It's fine. I'm fine." He bent down and picked a groaning Austin up by the scruff of his shirt. "Now you will run away from here or we'll call the police. You finish this divorce and you run back to New York as fast as you can and you never touch her again or I will cut you into pieces and take each individual piece to every corner of the Earth. Got it?" Troy barked.

Austin smiled weakly. "Is that a threat," he paused to cough, "or a promise?"

"Both," Troy spat.

* * *

"You're mad," Troy concluded as Gabriella knelt next to the sofa that he was lying on. He had thrown the scrap of material which used to be his shirt straight into the trash and Gabriella had ordered him to lie on the couch so that she could try to fix his wounds.

Gabriella frowned as she searched in the first aid kit she had found in the upstairs closet. "No," she whispered. Her hair was out of the bun and had been turned into a messy ponytail instead. She took out some gauze and antiseptic fluid, touching it gently to a cut on his forehead. He winced in pain and she sighed. "It has to hurt, baby, I'm sorry."

He sighed, looking into her eyes. "_I'm_ sorry. You're mad and you have every right to be."

She shook her head, wiping the antiseptic across his forehead and cheeks. "I'm not mad. I never was. Imagine what he would've done if you hadn't come along. I was convinced he was going to rape me," she admitted quietly.

"Yeah, I know. But, I didn't have to go to the extremes that I did," he mumbled, looking away from her. "I almost killed him."

"Troy," she whispered, waiting until he was looking her in the eyes. "I'm not mad. What you did back there made me love you even more. I was simply worried. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"How'd that work out?" he joked weakly, offering her a bright smile.

She smiled slightly and moved on to put band aids on each of his cuts. "Still as funny as ever."

He sat up and brought her into his arms so they were sat on the couch together. He pulled her onto his lap as she burst out crying. "It's over, baby. No more," he promised. He rubbed her back, kissing her head.

She sniffed, looking up at him. "He made me feel unfaithful and dirty. It felt horrible," she cried.

"I know, I know," he whispered. "I feel like it's my fault."

Gabriella frowned. "How?"

He sighed. "If I hadn't have given you that mark then maybe...Hmmmmm..." he sighed against Gabriella's lips.

She pulled back and shook her head. "Don't blame yourself. Please, Troy. It's not your fault that he's a bastard. Although, I doubt he'll even look at me after what you did to him." She stroked his wounded cheek. He was scraped, his lip was swollen and his eye was badly bruised, but he was still the most handsome man she'd ever seen. "Promise me you'll concentrate on fixing that handsome face of yours and not worry about what happened, okay? If you hadn't have come through the door when you did..." She trailed off as tears leaked from her eyes and she began whimpering again.

Troy sighed and tightened his arms around her. "Gabi, baby," he murmured into her hair. "Come on," he said encouragingly. He manoeuvred them both so that he was lying on top of her.

"It felt awful," she whispered. "Not like when you touch me."

"I'm touching you now," he mumbled, sliding his hands beneath her blouse, holding her to his body.

"I know." Her eyes fluttered open as he looked down on her.

"Do you want to make love?" he mumbled, unsure about her confidence in that area.

She nodded fervently. "I can still feel him touching me and I want it to stop," she cried.

Troy gathered her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he took her upstairs. They kissed slowly, both knowing that rough sex wasn't what Gabriella needed. He took her into their bedroom and laid her softly on the bed. "He's not touching you, I am. Just think about me, baby," he murmured as kissed her gently, pulling down the zipper of her skirt. Troy made love to her gently, softly caressing her face and breasts. She clung to him tightly as if she was convincing herself that it was Troy who was moving so softly above her and not Austin.

Gabriella fell asleep almost as soon as it was over and Troy didn't blame her. It had been a long day and he could see she wasn't only physically drained but emotionally drained, too. But, as he looked down at her sleeping form, he knew she was finally at peace. He hoped she had beautiful dreams that didn't include anything that had happened from today. He kissed her forehead and pulled the comforter around her. He grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from the bedside cabinet and scribbled a note for her, not wanting her to panic if she woke up before he returned.

_**Gabi,**_

_**Didn't want to wake you up. I'm downstairs if you need me. I won't be long though, I promise.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Your Cowboy**_

_**xxxxxx**_

He set it on his pillow as he stood up and pulled his boxers up to his hips. He opened the bedroom door and caught Lucky just as she was about to jump onto the bed and wake Gabriella up. "Not today," he whispered as he shut the door behind him and carried the cat downstairs. Lucky meowed in protest but soon began rubbing her face affectionately against his. "Gabi isn't feeling well. You've got to bear with her, okay?" He set Lucky on the wooden table and sat on a chair as he grabbed the cordless phone. Lucky sat in front of him as he scratched her behind her ears.

Troy called Jack, asking him to report what happened to Meaghan and to tell the rest of their friends. He knew their friends would want to kill him and they had every right to. But he also knew they wouldn't. Gabriella was too nice and didn't want Austin dead. She simply wanted him to be away. And Troy didn't blame her. But Troy would keep his promise. If he so much as looked at her, he'd shred him to pieces and scatter him to every part of the earth.

He sighed as he hung the phone up after the final call. He didn't know how Gabriella would react to phoning Greg and Maria but he did know that, despite what Gabriella had told him, he felt guilty about what happened and felt responsible to tell Greg and Maria exactly what happened. After all, Gabriella was all they had. He didn't want them to worry and promised that Gabriella would call them later.

Troy sighed again and rubbed his forehead tiredly. He'd promised to protect her and yet...look what had happened. He shook his head and stood up, pulling a tumbler out of the cupboard and turned the faucet on, filling the tumbler to near the top, knowing that Gabriella would need hydrating. He walked past the table, fussing Lucky one last time before climbing back up the stairs. He opened the bedroom door, shutting it quietly behind him. Setting the tumbler on the bedside cabinet, he took his boxers off before he climbed back into bed. Gabriella had rolled onto her side, giving him the opportunity to hold her from behind. As he draped an arm over her waist, he frowned. "You're awake," he mumbled, kissing her bare shoulder.

She giggled tiredly and rolled towards him. "What gave me away?"

He kissed her nose. "These sheets are way too neat for you to be asleep and my note isn't here."

She brought the note out from under the pillow and smiled at him. "What were you doing?"

His smile slipped slightly. "Um, I called my dad. I asked him to tell Meaghan. I don't expect her to do anything. In fact, I asked him to ask her not to do anything. You're going to win, I know you are and once you do he can get the hell out of here."

She frowned, knowing there was more to it. "And..."

He sighed. "I asked my dad to tell Sharpay. They all care about you so much and I thought you'd want them to know. And, um, I called your parents. I didn't know if you were planning on telling them but I kind of felt responsible."

"It wasn't your fault," Gabriella protested.

He nodded. "I know. But, I love you and care about you and you mean the world to me. And remember when we were visiting Greg and Maria in California?"

Gabriella smiled. "Of course."

"One of the things that Greg and I were talking about is how he worries about you and I promised I'd protect you." He sighed. "That's what I meant when I said I feel responsible."

She frowned and kissed him on the lips. "That's sweet. But, I really don't want you feeling bad. Because you shouldn't. Honestly." She stroked the band aids on his forehead, cheek and neck. "You're not sore anymore, right? I mean, after we just..."

He smiled and shook his head. "I feel fine. You don't think he did any permanent damage, right?"

She curled into his embrace. "Of course not."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:First of all: Apologies for the inconvenience the other day. I posted this chapter but xLeeRamdomx and I agreed it wasn't good enough so I deleted it and edited it :) I'm much happier with it now. And thanks a million to xLeeRamdomx :)**

**Mock exam tomorrow. Not fun :(**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Gabriella groaned with disbelief when she saw the sight of the office. She felt Troy squeeze her hand and she tilted her head to smile bravely at him. "How long do you suppose this'll take us?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't like to say. Gabi, I had no idea I smashed a window when threw him, I swear."

She shrugged. "It's a window. Just think about what would've happened if you hadn't broken a window."

Troy let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her instead. "It doesn't bear thinking about."

She sighed and looked down on Kaden who was clutching an action man toy. "Kaden, I want you to pick the books and papers up, okay? Be careful of the glass. It's really sharp."

He nodded obediently. "Papers and books," he murmured thoughtfully. "Why is everything smashed?" he asked innocently.

Gabriella glanced at Troy who nodded. She crouched in front of him. "Your daddy saved me. He was my hero. A very nasty man tried to hurt me and your daddy stopped him."

"Like in fairytales?" he asked innocently.

Gabriella laughed softly. "Exactly like in fairytales. Now go on. This office isn't going to clean itself." She kissed his forehead and hugged him.

As she rose back up, Troy brought her into his arms. "So, I'm your hero?" he smirked.

She rolled her eyes but smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yeah. You are," she whispered. "You're always saving me."

He shrugged, tightening his arms around her. "Somebody's got to. I mean with Austin and the way you hop..."

She gasped. "That was uncalled for," she exclaimed. She smiled when he leaned down to kiss her gently. She pulled back and bent down for a cardboard box. "Come on, Cowboy. You're dealing with the tables and chairs."

"Why me?" he exclaimed.

She bent down and began tossing the shards of glass into the box. "Because you're stronger than me," she replied.

Kaden suddenly let out a loud cry and ran over to Gabriella. "Gabi!" he yelled.

She jumped but embraced him nonetheless. She pulled back and dried his tears. "What is it? What happened?"

He held up his right hand where a long cut went from one side of his palm to the other. "I didn't see the glass when I picked this up," he whimpered as he held up a piece of paper with his left hand.

Gabriella hugged him tightly. "Oh, Sweetie!" She glanced at Troy who seemed content that she was handling the situation and continued to sort the furniture. She pulled back and looked at his hand. "Will you let me fix it?"

He nodded numbly. "Yeah," he whispered.

"Wait here, okay?" She kissed his forehead and left the room before returning less than a minute later with a first aid kit. She knelt in front of him and began with wiping his hand with antiseptic. "You're very brave. Braver than Daddy. He winced all the time."

"Hey," Troy protested.

Kaden giggled. "Auntie Taylor says that Daddy and Uncle Chad were...um...wimps in high school," he said innocently.

"Kaden!" Troy exclaimed incredulously. Kaden simply replied with a cheeky giggle.

"Well," Gabriella began as she started wrapping some gauze around Kaden's hand, "I can't comment on that but I wouldn't be surprised."

"What is this? National pick on Troy day?" Troy joked.

Gabriella tied the final knot and kissed Kaden's hand. "All better." She turned her cheek towards him.

He giggled and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Gabi."

"Now, what was on this piece of paper?" she asked.

He shrugged as he handed it to her. "Just numbers." He skipped away and began picking up more books and pieces of paper.

Gabriella felt her throat go dry and she moved into a cross legged position. This wasn't possible. As the cogs turned in her head, clicking the jigsaw pieces into place, she felt the colour drain from her face. She surprised herself. She didn't freeze, didn't even shed one tear. She simply read the note over and over again. It seemed impossible to think that after all Austin had taken away, he still wanted to take more.

"Gabi?" Troy asked. He slowly walked over and knelt in front of her. "What is it?" He slowly slipped the piece of paper from her hand and read it. He regarded her as he spoke. "And this is..."

"My bank details," she whispered. "He was going to take it all. He's smart. He wouldn't have left a trace. And it would've simply...gone." She banged the hardwood floor and tears finally streamed down her cheeks. "It's not fair. Why won't he stop?"

Troy shrugged. "I don't know. I wish he would."

Kaden came over and tapped her shoulder. "Don't cry, Gabi." Held out his action man figure. "Action man will help. He's a hero. And Daddy will make it better. He said he always saves you."

Gabriella smiled weakly. "That's sweet but I just don't understand why he won't leave me alone. Am I really that bad of a girlfriend?"

Troy wiped her cheeks with his thumbs. "No. You're brilliant. He's just mentally unstable."

Gabriella smiled slightly and looked back at the numbers scrawled on the piece of paper. "Kaden, I'm so sorry."

"Why?" he asked timidly.

"You got hurt, didn't you?" She held his tiny bandaged in both of hers and kissed his palm. "Does it hurt?"

He shook his head. "No," he murmured. "Not anymore."

She smiled bravely up at him, still feeling tears sting her eyes. "That's good. I don't want you being hurt because of a bad guy." She hugged him tightly and then gave him his action man toy back.

"How'd he get it? I'm no expert but, even for a lawyer, it's got to be difficult to get a hold of someone's bank details." Troy helped Gabriella to her feet and held her shoulders. "Any ideas?"

She folded her arms. "Ideas? I have plenty. I'm a lawyer. Part of the territory. Because of him, Kaden is hurt. This is the final straw." She stepped away from him and wandered over to the smashed window. "My first idea? The only way he would've found those numbers is through me leaving a bank statement behind. There's no other way." She turned to Troy and Kaden. "My second idea? When I contact the police, and I will before the sun goes down, he will get at least thirty years behind bars for this and for what he did to me." She walked over to Kaden and picked him up, resting him on her hip. "My final idea? We're going for ice cream. Thank you, Kaden." She kissed his forehead and held him closer.

* * *

"How can I help you?" the police lady behind the counter asked nicely.

"I need to report a case of harassment," Gabriella said professionally.

"What is your name?"

"Gabriella Montez and this is my partner, Troy Bolton," Gabriella explained.

"I know who he is. We were in school together. Hi Troy." She smiled warmly at him.

"Hi Tina," Troy greeted.

"Right, well, if you'd like to take a seat, I'll just get someone to see you," Tina said politely.

Troy tugged Gabriella over to the chairs and sat her down. He squeezed her hand for support. "You okay?"

Gabriella nodded and looked across at him. "Yeah. Seems surreal though. After all of the tears, all of the times I froze, he's finally getting what he deserves. Or the start of it, at least. It'll be a few weeks before the trial."

"And you're going to be your own lawyer?" Troy asked.

She nodded. "It's better that way. While not many judges are fan of attorneys being their own lawyer, from the lawyer's point of view, it's much better. Less time consuming as well."

"Remember when your car stopped working at the ranch and I fixed it?" Troy asked thoughtfully.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. I haven't a clue what you did but it hasn't driven this well since I bought her."

He chuckled and curled a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I wanted to fix your car because I would've done that for anybody. But I took you to the tree house because I knew that you weren't anybody. You were somebody I wanted to have in my life. I guess I wanted to share something with you. I know it's taken a long time and I honestly wish it hadn't happened to you but things are finally working out. Just like I promised."

Gabriella smiled. "I know. But, I don't wish it hadn't happened. I'm glad it did. I wouldn't change one second of it because at the end...I met you."

Troy was about to open his mouth when a policeman came out of the back door. He smiled politely and held his hand out as Troy and Gabriella rose to their feet. "Officer Johnson. Pleased to meet you. If you come with me, we can discuss your problems in private."

* * *

Gabriella sat down on the couch, the phone held in her hand. She curled her feet under herself and took a deep breath. She had two phone calls to make and at the minute, all she was doing was trying to figure out which one would be less problematic. When Greg found out what had happened, he'd have a cow...and pig and a goat, too. Meaghan, though. That was a whole different problem. As far as Gabriella could see, there were only two options: either let Meaghan find another attorney which would take another few weeks, or allow Gabriella to be an objective attorney for the both of them and everything could be sorted, in theory, in one final meeting.

Troy wandered in and smiled sadly. "You okay?"

She nodded as she looked up at him. "Yeah. Who do you think I should call first?"

"From a guy's point of view, my mom. Your dad'll be furious," he exclaimed as he sat next to her.

She nodded. "I know." She looked back to the cordless phone cradled in her lap.

"But from a lawyer's point of view, I'd call your dad first," he said. "I think," he added afterwards. "That's coming from the expert lawyer who went to Columbia."

Gabriella laughed and slapped his arm playfully. "I think I'm going to call my dad first."

Troy nodded. "Okay. Would you like me to be here?"

Gabriella thought about it for a moment and finally shook her head. "Is it okay if I talk to him privately?"

Troy smiled and kissed her forehead. "Of course it is. I'll be outside with the horses, okay? They still need to be groomed today."

Gabriella smiled. "Alright."

Troy dropped one final kiss to her lips before standing up. "I love you," he called over his shoulder.

"I love you, too," she called after him. When she heard the front door click shut, she dialled her parents' number. She held the phone to her ear and held her breath as she heard the dialling tone.

"Hello?" Greg answered.

"Hi Papi," she murmured. "It's me."

"Oh, hola, mi hija," Greg said with surprise. "How are you?"

"Well, that's kind of why I wanted to call you. Austin's back," she said quietly.

"I know he is. Troy told us," Greg whispered.

"I know. But Troy, Kaden and I were cleaning my office up, which is luckily covered by my insurance, and Kaden found a piece of paper. Papi, Austin was going to take my money from my bank account," Gabriella said quickly.

"What?" Greg growled.

Gabriella rolled her hands. "Don't worry, it's being dealt with. Tomorrow, a couple of policemen are going to wait with me and as soon as Austin arrives, they're going to arrest him. The trials will be a couple of weeks from now meaning the divorce will be well out of the way."

Greg sighed. "I wish I was there, sweetheart."

"Me too. But don't worry. I've got Troy. And Jack, Mike, Chad, Ryan, Jason and Zeke. Even Sharpay. I don't think Austin will ever come back after dealing with them," she joked.

Greg chuckled. "Hey, your mom wants to talk to you."

"Mi hija?" Maria asked.

"Hi, Mom," Gabriella greeted. "How are you?"

"Forget about me, honey. Did your father tell you the news?" Maria asked excitedly.

"No. I was a bit busy," Greg called in the background, making Gabriella smiled.

"What news?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, Troy called us. He got us thinking. We're moving to Albuquerque," she said quietly.

Gabriella frowned. "Really? Are you okay?"

"Yes, we're fine. We just want to be close you. We don't want to miss you being happy and miss Kaden, either. So, what do you think?" Maria asked.

Gabriella was silent for a moment and then laughed. "You said Troy called. I think that would be amazing. I miss you both so much. But what about California? You both love it so much."

Maria laughed heartily. "You think we love this place more than we love you?"

"That's what Troy said," Gabriella murmured.

"Well, he speaks sense. I'll let you go, okay? Our house is on the market, we're hoping to move down by the end of the summer," Maria explained.

Gabriella smiled. "I love you."

"Love you, too, mi hija. Talk to you soon, okay? Bye."

Gabriella hung up and smiled. It hadn't been as painful as she'd feared. She dialled Meghan's number and held it to her ear.

"Hello?" Meghan greeted.

"Hi, Meaghan. It's Gabriella. I felt responsible to inform you that at our final meeting next week, Mr Ames won't be there. He attempted to steal the money from my bank account," Gabriella explained.

"Oh God," Meaghan exclaimed. "Gabriella, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry. You weren't to know. Now, we have two options. First, I can allow you to find a replacement attorney but there's a risk that it'd be time consuming and I know that both you and Jack want this over with, really. Or I could be an objective attorney for the both of you and then it would be over in one more meeting," Gabriella explained. "I'll ask Jack but I'm pretty sure I know that he'll be fine with me being objective."

"Oh, Gabriella. After I brought that jerk back into your life, you're still willing to do my divorce. Troy told me the whole deal," Meaghan explained. "I'll be fine with you being objective."

"Thanks Meaghan. I know that things could be better between you and Jack but I know that he's grateful for your cooperation.

"Yeah," Meaghan whispered. "I haven't been the best wife. I just feel like we're different people."

"Yeah. I understand. I don't want you to beat yourself up about Austin. It's being sorted," Gabriella explained.

"Alright," Meaghan whispered. "I'll let you go."

After they had hung up, Gabriella made her way out of the house and immediately set off for the paddock where she knew Troy was. And, as predicted, Troy was walking Misty around the enclosed space. It was only a slow walk but it was in order for Kaden to be safe. Gabriella leant her arms on the fence as she watched him. They weren't going particularly fast. In fact, Gabriella could tell Kaden would get around the paddock quicker on his hands and knees. Troy loved letting Kaden ride Misty and Gabriella could tell that Kaden enjoyed it even more. It seemed impossible to think that such a tiny, innocent boy had finally solved the mystery of why Austin had come to Albuquerque. It finally made sense. And it was because of him. He wouldn't know until he was older. All she wanted was for him to know that he helped her make things better.

Troy spotted her from the other side and waved to her. She giggled and waved back. Kaden waved excitedly at her before Troy obviously told him to hold the reins. Troy turned back to her and she blew him a kiss. He began dancing the 'night fever' dance and she threw her head back as she laughed. Troy took Kaden off Misty and set him on the other side of the fence. Kaden ran off towards Jack's house and Troy quickly unsaddled Misty before making his way over to Gabriella. He stood similarly to Gabriella, his arms resting on the fence.

He bent down to kiss her lips. "So, how did it go?"

"You were right. Meghan was easier to talk to," she murmured. "My dad wasn't hard, exactly. But, it was hard to tell him. I did. But it was difficult. My mom said something interesting though."

"What did she say?" Troy asked.

"That someone called them up and told them I was missing them. Troy, why didn't you tell me?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged and looked at his feet like a naughty child. "I don't know. I didn't think they'd mention me." He lifted his head. "I didn't want it to be about me. I thought about what you said. Remember? You wanted them to move down here. So, one day while you were out with the girls, I called your parents up."

She smiled up at him. "I'm not sure what to say."

"You can say what my mom said," he replied.

Gabriella sighed. "She was so apologetic for bringing Austin down here. It's like she's a different woman to who I was working with before. I think, now, she just wants it over with like everyone else does. I tried to convince her that it's not her fault but...I think we need to see her outside of the office. No suits or briefcases, just me, you, Kaden and Meaghan."

Troy nodded. "Alright."

"She agreed that I can be an objective attorney for her and Jack," Gabriella murmured.

Troy looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

Gabriella shrugged. "It's the quickest way. This way, Meaghan doesn't have to find another lawyer and we can, in theory, finish it in one meeting next week."

"Really?" Troy repeated.

She nodded. "Yeah. Next week we'll probably find out who gets the ranch."

"Who do you think will get it?" Troy asked.

Gabriella quirked an eyebrow.

"You can't tell me, can you?" he asked quietly.

"Objective, remember?" She smiled up at him. "She's not going to take it away. I can promise you that." She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. She looked deeply into his eyes. "Stop being so scared. Remember what you said to me before our first date? You said that you don't have to be sure what happens next. Remember?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. I do."

She rested her forehead against his. "And forget about Austin. He's as good as gone. I'm not going back to him or back to New York or Silicon Valley. I promise."


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Well, here it is. Enjoy.**

**Don't own HSM

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**

Meaghan opened the door of her apartment and immediately swept Kaden into her arms. "Oh, how is my little cowboy?"

Kaden giggled and he held up the _Handy Manny_ doll in his hand. "Look what Gabi bought me, Grandma!"

Meaghan looked up at Gabriella. "Well, that was very nice of her. Did you say thank you?"

Kaden nodded fervently. "I sure did! And when she got me a DVD," he said proudly.

Meaghan smiled at him. "That's brilliant, sweetheart. Do you want some cookies? They're fresh from the over."

Troy rolled his eyes jokingly to Gabriella. "Mom, you didn't have to-"

Meaghan held her hand out, cutting him off. "Troy, he's my grandson. If I want to spoil him, I can. Now come on in. You can go into the lounge while I fix Kaden some milk and cookies."

"He's got practically the entire town spoiling him," Troy exclaimed but ruffled Kaden's hair anyway.

"Well, I have priority. I'm his grandma." Meaghan pointed at Gabriella. "Your mom will do exactly the same."

Gabriella laughed. "I know. When we went to California, we hardly saw Kaden at all because he was always with my parents."

Troy and Gabriella made their way into the lounge and they sat down on the couch together. The apartment was small. But, Gabriella supposed Meaghan didn't need space. It was only her living here until she went to Chicago for her new job. She gazed in awe at the pictures of Troy, Mike and Kaden that were hung on every wall. Gabriella realised that all of her past opinions of Meghan had been based on the meetings they'd shared together where it was expected for her to act harsh. But, Gabriella concluded that she was, in fact, still a mother who still held an immense amount of affection for her sons and grandson.

Gabriella suddenly became conscious of how being a lawyer and spending much of her time in courtrooms gave her false appearances of others and also gave others a false appearance of her. It was likely that if any of her past clients saw her with her curly hair, a nice floral blouse, some jeans and some ballet flats, they wouldn't recognise her. All she had seen of Meaghan was the woman who was, she now understood, trying to give both Jack and herself a last chance at happiness.

Meaghan came in with a tray of three cups of coffee and a plate of cookies. She set it on the coffee table and then sat in the chair opposite to the couch. "Kaden's playing in my bedroom with his _Handy Manny_ toys." She gestured to the cups. "Please, help yourself."

Troy reached for a cup and regarded her. "Mom, you don't have to act. Gabriella is here as my partner, not your lawyer."

Gabriella reached for a cookie and smiled tentatively. "I wanted to formally introduce myself."

Meaghan sipped her coffee. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Gabriella laughed. "Sometimes it's nice for people to know that I don't live in my office."

Meaghan smiled. "I remember Troy realising that teachers didn't sleep in schools."

"Mom," Troy groaned, burying his head in his hands.

Gabriella nudged his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. "This is such a lovely place."

"Thank you," Meaghan said sincerely. "It's not much but I don't need much. I'm beginning my job in Chicago in two months so this place is just to give me somewhere to stay until I'm ready to move."

Gabriella stood up and walked over to the opposite wall. "You have so many pictures of your sons."

Meaghan smiled at Troy. "They're my sons. I love them both so much. When Troy went to Berkeley to become a vet, everything seemed quiet, almost like there was something missing. And Mikey? He's still my little boy. I worry about him every day that goes by but I don't say anything because I know that no matter what happens, he picks himself up and carries on as he was before."

Gabriella sat back down and picked up her coffee. "That's sweet." She paused. "I'm sorry."

"Pardon?" Meaghan asked in shock.

Gabriella shook her head. "I'm sorry. All of this time, I've seen you as a harsh bitter woman and you're not at all. It's the office. People change so much just to win a case."

Meaghan shrugged. "It's the same for you. In the office, you appear to be a stern, severe and sometimes scary woman."

Troy burst out laughing. He calmed down a bit when he saw Gabriella's stern look. "I'm sorry Gabi. It's a little funny."

She rolled her eyes. "I guess it is."

They were quiet for a while, drinking their coffee and eating cookies, before Troy finally said what was on his mind. "Mom, you still love Dad, don't you?" Troy whispered.

Meaghan frowned. "Troy, I'm not sure if I should say."

"It won't affect the divorce at all. I won't even tell Jack if you don't want me to," Gabriella exclaimed.

"He knows," Meaghan whispered. She concluded that there wasn't any point in lying or holding it back any longer. Her oldest son was twenty six and all his partner was doing at the minute was trying to be a nice person by giving her a chance to explain. She laughed quietly to herself. "Of course he does. We've been open books to each other for so many years, we can't just switch it off." She finally nodded. "Of course I love him. Why wouldn't I? He's sweet and charming...I could go on and on with reasons why I fell in love with him."

Troy was quiet for a minute. "Why did you want a divorce so badly?"

She paused and looked at Troy. "Troy, I know it may seem like this is because of you but please believe me when I say that it's not. I know I was harsh and cruel when Ellie died and I really shouldn't have been but she was practically my daughter and I loved her. I know it doesn't account for anything I've said or done but..." She ran a hand through her hair. "I know that no couple is perfect but I realised that Jack deserved much better than me. This job in Chicago came up and I wanted to give him a second chance at what could've been. I've seen the way he looks at Lucille. I know, I know, I should never have accused him of cheating. He probably doesn't even know that he's attracted to her."

Troy laughed. "That's true. Me and Mikey not-so-subtly suggested that he didn't have to be so lonely."

Meaghan smiled weakly as she sipped her coffee. She glanced at Gabriella and shrugged. "Troy, I'm sorry. I didn't want it to end this way but things were said that really shouldn't have been and I'm just not sure it's possible to go back."

Troy gulped down the rest of his coffee and set his cup on the table. "Why did you act so harsh towards Dad?"

"I think I know," Gabriella said quietly, almost as if she was scared of doing wrong. "But, I'll let you go ahead."

"No, it's fine." Meaghan smiled reassuringly. "Go ahead."

"I could be wrong and please excuse me if I am. I've seen a lot of divorce cases, even way back when I studied cases for my exams at Columbia. Like this one case. This couple had been married for almost forty years. They had six kids and almost thirty grandkids. The husband suddenly started snapping everyday at the wife simply because he knew there was no hope. He knew that they'd changed over time like so many people do and didn't want there to be any pretence or any belief that things were okay anymore. They still loved each other but they figured that they weren't only making themselves miserable but their entire family, too. So, they got a divorce. Just like you. You were trying to protect people, weren't you? You didn't want anybody to think it would just blow over." She shrugged. "With divorces, there are always patterns. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

Meaghan set her cup down and stood up, opening her arms up. "Come here, Gabriella."

Gabriella stood up and hugged Meaghan tightly, feeling an overwhelming sense of sympathy for the older woman. "Meaghan, Jack just wants you to be happy," she whispered as she pulled back.

Meaghan nodded. "I know," she murmured. "I just didn't want to risk hurting him again. I said so many bad things and...Troy, I never meant to make you feel like it was your fault. I'm sorry. It's just that sometimes plans change and people change. You both know that. I really am sorry."

Troy leapt to his feet and embraced his mother tightly. "Mom, it doesn't matter. I still love you. I forgive you."

Meaghan pulled back and wiped her eyes. "How is Mikey doing?"

Troy smiled. "He's got a girlfriend and with basketball season and finals...he's doing great. He felt a bit rough a few months ago but he's better now."

Meaghan smiled. "And has he heard from U of A?"

"Of course. He's practically on the team already." Troy shrugged. "Mom, do you have to go to Chicago?"

"I think it would be best for your father," she murmured. "I'll tell you what. I'll come down here each Easter, Thanksgiving and two weeks every summer. How does that sound?"

Troy smiled. "I'd like that."

Gabriella looked between them both. "Troy, is it okay if I talk to Meaghan alone for a minute? Maybe you could get us some more coffee and make sure Kaden still has some milk."

Troy looked at Meaghan who nodded. He kissed her cheek and nodded. "Alright. If you need me, I'm in the next room. Mom, do you want more coffee?"

Meaghan nodded. "Thanks, Troy."

Gabriella and Meaghan sat down on the couch and were silent for a moment while Gabriella gathered her thoughts. "How much do you know?" she finally asked, keeping her eyes on the coffee table.

Meaghan shrugged. "The basics, I guess. Different people have told me different things. Nothing from Mr Ames, obviously. Troy told me some things, Mike told me others. I know that you were going to marry him and he broke it off."

"Did anybody tell you why?" Gabriella whispered, finally looking at the older woman.

Meaghan shook her head. "No. It's as if everybody was scared to say it."

Gabriella laughed quietly. "I don't think that was it. I think they were just respecting me. I was pregnant. It was wonderful. The best feeling in the world apart from having Troy love me."

Meaghan smiled. "I felt that way when I was pregnant with Troy and Mike."

Gabriella's smile faltered. "I miscarried." She shrugged. "Something rare. Something that could happen again but something that Austin thought was my fault. I told him what happened and he just left me in the hospital. It didn't just break my heart, it broke me. It was too much. I lost my baby and the man my entire world revolved around. Can you imagine that at all?"

Meaghan's eyes were damp with tears at the sheer thought. "To lose Jack and one of my boys at the same time? No. I can't. Troy and Mike are everything to me."

Gabriella nodded. "I know. I lost everything. So I came down here. All I wanted was to be with Kelsi and Shar and Ry. They were the ones I wanted near me. I never expected him to follow me. I doubt he would've taken this case if Jack's attorney was anyone but me. He prefers bigger cases than divorces."

Meaghan smiled slightly. "I can't believe how bad he hurt you."

Gabriella shrugged. "I'm over it. He's going to be caught pretty soon. I don't want you to beat yourself up. I don't blame you."

"Really?" Meaghan whispered.

Gabriella nodded. "I promise." She hugged Meaghan tightly.

Meaghan pulled back and nodded. "Okay. Why isn't Mr Ames caught already?"

"That's simple. They can't find him. But, I called him and told him I've reconsidered," Gabriella explained.

"Reconsidered what?" Meaghan asked.

"I told him I reconsidered his 'offer'. Remember? I know Troy told you. He almost raped me," she whispered. "If he thinks I want to be with him, he'd meet me anywhere. Don't worry, Troy's going to be there and about four policemen." She shrugged. "He's gone. The trial will be a couple of weeks after the divorce is settled and there'll be a restraining order whether he's in jail or not."

Meaghan smiled. "You're strong. Do you know that?"

Gabriella shook her head. "Since Austin left, the only place I've felt strong is when I'm in court or my office."

"But you are. After all you've been through, you still welcomed Troy and, more importantly, Kaden with open arms," she exclaimed.

"I never had a choice," Gabriella whispered, smoothing a wrinkle in her skirt. "I saw him on that night. A get together at the ranch. Everyone was there. It was so much fun. I remember what he wore. It was just this plain white button up shirt and some jeans but he looked so handsome." She smiled at Meaghan. "He had his hair gelled. The one and only time I've seen it that way. It was like in those cheesy rom-com movies where the light shines and angels sing...but better. It seemed that everything was finally worth it because I knew him and now I love him and he loves me, too. And I knew that Kaden was a package deal and he's so sweet. I never met Ellie and I know he didn't either. But I kind of want to be the kind of mother she would've been."

Meaghan nodded. "You are. All she would've wanted was for Troy to find someone who loved Troy and Kaden and made them happy. And you're the ultimate package of that."

"Kaden come back here!" Troy called.

Meaghan and Gabriella turned to the doorway as Kaden ran in and leapt onto Gabriella's lap. "Gabi, guess what?"

"Ummmm...I give up," Gabriella said as she repositioned the little boy in her lap. She looked up just as Troy walked in, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"I found this picture of Daddy and me. I thought you'd like it," Kaden exclaimed excitedly as he held out a picture frame for Gabriella to see.

"Let me see that," Gabriella murmured as she took the picture from Kaden's hand. She held back a giggle when she saw a picture of Troy and Kaden lying on the floor, laughing and covered in spaghetti. It was simple, not professional at all. But it was the sheer love and happiness emanating from the father and son that made Gabriella smile widely at the little boy.

"I almost forgot that had happened," he said, almost sadly.

"This picture is incredible. I love it. You both look so happy," she whispered.

"That's one of my favourite pictures," Meaghan commented.

"Yeah, I never expected you to see that," Troy admitted.

"I think it's cute," Gabriella said and kissed Kaden's nose. "I'm not even going to ask what happened."

"Yeah, you shouldn't," Troy commented. His eyes suddenly went wide as he glanced at the clock. "Hey, Gabi, it's almost two. We'd better get to your office."

Gabriella yawned and leaned into Troy. "Isn't this kind of ironic?"

"Ironic?" Troy asked. "Should it be?"

She giggled. They were sat on the hood of Troy's truck together and Kaden was a few feet away, throwing a baseball back and forth with two of the policemen. "I think it sort of is. I mean, I told Austin I was practically begging him to sleep with me and he's late. Of course he is. He's late to our meetings, why wouldn't he be late when he thinks I want to get back together?"

Troy tightened his arm around her. "I guess. I just can't wait to see the look on his face."

"Stop feeling jealous," she murmured as she kissed his cheek. "We've been over this."

Troy smiled and nodded. "I know. You seemed to get on with my mom okay."

Gabriella smiled at him. "She's so sweet. It's also helped me with some background knowledge for the divorce." She rested a hand on his knee. "I can't really speak from experience, given that my parents are still married, but I do know that it's hard. But, shall I tell you something?"

"What?" Troy whispered, staring at the floor.

"Nobody is leaving you. I promise. Ellie didn't leave you, Kaden won't leave you and I won't leave. Meaghan isn't leaving you, either. She promised she's coming back for Easter, summer and Thanksgiving. And you can call her whenever you want. Kaden is fine. Although you had to explain that Jack and Meaghan aren't married anymore, he's seen you fall in love. He thinks it's the best thing in the world because you're happy. You've given him everything you have. Someday soon, just like you promised, things are going to be perfect." She smiled hopefully at him.

"You promise?" he asked.

"You know I do," she murmured as she leaned closer to kiss him slowly. She pulled back when she heard a car pull up. She gripped Troy's arm as they jumped down from Troy's truck. Kaden ran over to them and Troy and Gabriella stood protectively in front of him.

Austin stepped out of the car and the policemen immediately had him turned around, hand cuffing his hands together. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded.

"I'm arresting you on suspicion of harassment and attempt at forgery. You have the right to remain silent but anything you say might be used as evidence in court," one of the policemen said professionally as he turned Austin to face him.

"What?" Austin growled. "You lied," he accused violently.

Gabriella remained quiet, knowing that the things she wanted to say would possibly harm the case. She looked up at Troy and smiled slightly up at him. He tightened his arm around her waist and she turned back to Austin with a defiant look. She nodded to the policemen who manoeuvred Austin into the back of a police car.

One of the policemen came over and addressed her. "Will you be okay, Miss Montez?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for your help."

"It's fine. It's just our job. We'll take his car to the station and we'll be in touch about court," he explained. He nodded in recognition of them both and then climbed in the police car, pulling out, with Austin's car following close behind.

"Well, I think I speak for everybody when I say that was easier than I expected," Troy said cheerfully. The usual jealous overtone of his voice whenever he spoke about Austin was finally gone. No worries that Gabriella would leave him. He slid his hand into the back pocket of her capris pants. He frowned when he saw Gabriella was silent, still staring at where the cars had left the parking lot. "Gabi?"

She lifted her head before finally breaking out into a huge grin. "He's gone," she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lovingly.

Troy wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, lifting her feet off of the ground. She smiled against his lips as he felt her tiny hand trace his cheek. He pulled back from the kiss and grinned at her. "He's gone," he repeated in a whisper as he set her on the ground.

Gabriella breathed out deeply before turning to Kaden. "Come on, Kaden. I made you a promise I intend to keep. We need to celebrate."

Gabriella and Kaden slid into the booth opposite Troy of the ice cream booth. Gabriella just couldn't leave Kaden alone. She was still asking about his hand and had already taken him to the toy store and bought him everything he wanted. Troy had protested but Gabriella had simply gone on and on about it until he gave in.

Gabriella had promised Kaden he could have the biggest sundae he wanted and had ordered a good old fashioned knickerbockerglory for him. Kaden was truly amazing. She suddenly felt a surge of pride and love for him. She wanted to give him the world so that she could repay him for what he'd done. It was true that he wouldn't know the whole truth until he was much older but right now, she just wanted him to know she loved him and that he had made her the happiest woman in the world.

Gabriella touched her foot to Troy's under the table to get his attention. "Um, Troy, would you mind going to ask them to put chocolate sauce on Kaden's sundae, please?"

Troy frowned but assumed that she wanted to talk to Kaden alone. "Sure," he murmured slowly before sliding out of the booth.

Gabriella turned to Kaden and sighed softly. "Kaden, sweetie?"

He looked up at her innocently. "Yeah?"

"I know you don't really know why, but I am ever so proud of you. You've helped me. But, I don't want you to think that I'm replacing your mom," she said softly.

He nodded. "I know. Daddy's always said that nobody could replace Mommy."

Gabriella smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "Remember that. Because nobody ever will."

He looked thoughtful for a moment and then looked up at her. "I know you're not replacing her but is it okay if you're my mommy anyway?" he asked sweetly.

She smiled in disbelief. "Really?"

He shrugged. "I've never seen Daddy act like this before and I don't want him to stop. I mean, you're getting married, aren't you?"

She giggled nervously. "Kaden, as much as I want to marry your daddy, he hasn't asked me yet."

"So?" he asked. "He will. It's just like you said: it's like a fairytale."

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "I guess it is. I just need to make sure that the bad guy gets a good telling off."

"Are you sending him to jail?" he asked sweetly.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. I am." She turned to him. "He won't be around anymore. Things are finally going to be how they should be."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Okay, I hope you like it. I wrote this when I was supposed to be doing homework lol. Um...I hope you guys have seen the trailer to 'Charlie St Cloud'. It has, in a weird kind of way, inspired me for my next story :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Troy wrapped the towel around his waist as he stepped out of the shower. He wiped the mist from the mirror and stared blankly back at his reflection. It seemed impossible to think that despite how he had lost his wife, he was finally happy. No more worries about the divorce or Gabriella leaving. He was finally at peace. Ellie had made sure of that. After all, it was her that convinced him to do what he felt was right with Gabriella.

He chuckled to himself. If Ellie could see him now, he hoped she'd be proud of him. He hadn't given up on anything at all. He'd done everything that Ellie wanted and, most importantly, put Kaden's happiness first.

He walked into the bedroom and if he wasn't so used to the sight, he would have screamed at the sight of Ellie sitting elegantly at the edge of the bed. Every morning since they were married, Ellie would shower first and get dressed while Troy showered. Then, she would sit patiently on the bed until he was done.

He sighed. "Don't say anything, El."

"Okay," she said softly. "Then I won't say I'm proud of you."

Troy smiled at her. "Is this it, El? Are things coming together?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Nobody does. But that doesn't mean you should give up. You wouldn't if I was still with you, would you?"

Troy ran a hand through his damp hair. "No," he admitted.

She stood up and folded her arms. "You're not scared anymore, are you?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm not. You know, I thought I'd be scared of everything for the rest of my life. I thought I'd be scared to let anyone in because they might leave me. But, you made me risk it." Tears gathered in his eyes. "And I'm glad you did."

She smiled widely at him. "That's more like the Troy Bolton I fell in love with."

He laughed through his tears. "I guess it does. El, I love Gabriella so much. I know she's not going anywhere. I feel like I'm in high school all over again. Remember how I asked you out?"

Ellie laughed, a sound which proved to be music to Troy's ears. "Yes. You stuttered so badly, I thought your lips were numb."

Troy smiled. "I know. I remember it took me about two weeks to ask you to the Spring Fling. Every day, I'd walk up to you, then see you there and walk right back to my locker where Chad would be waiting for me. It wasn't until he gripped my shoulders, steered me to your locker and held me there that I actually managed to do it. I feel like that all over again. It's the greatest feeling in the world. You know, I've spent three years, wishing you were still here and now I've found someone who I hope you're happy I'm with."

Ellie nodded. "I am. Gabriella is brilliant. With you and with Kaden. I know you love her."

"I love you, too," he murmured.

She smiled. "I know that."

Troy paused and sighed. "Ellie...I can't imagine living without Gabi and I don't want to find out how that feels. Do you remember those years after we were married and some days when neither of us were working, we'd just lie in bed together, talking and kissing and making love?"

Ellie nodded. "Yeah. I do. I loved it. I miss it sometimes."

Troy inhaled sharply. "Me too. But, I want some of those days with Gabriella."

"Why are you telling me this, Troy?" she asked.

"Because there's no one else I can talk about this stuff to. I mean," he sighed as he sat on the bed and Ellie sat next to him, "it's hardly something my dad wants to hear, Kaden's not old enough to understand and Gabi..."

"...would listen," Ellie finished. "I know she would and I know that you know, too. Why is it so hard for you to admit? You've told her about our first time making love, why can't you tell her stuff like this?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

"You want to marry her, don't you?" she asked with realisation. "You want her to know that you want to marry her for her, not because you want to experience things that we have."

Troy nodded. "Yeah. I think I want to ask her. But I want you to be okay with it."

She rolled her eyes. "I know you love me. I know you love Gabi and I know she loves you and Kaden as well. That's all I can ever ask from a woman who was going to be your wife. It's fine by me. I promise."

* * *

Troy held Misty's foot as he replaced her shoe. All Troy could think about was the prospect of proposing to Gabriella. He was going to wait until the divorce was finalised and he knew exactly how he was going to do it. Gabriella was similar to Ellie in that neither of them had ever been fans of big extravagant fusses over them and so that made the job easier for him. It meant that he didn't have to worry about venues or meals or anything like that. He could simply...wait until it felt right.

Troy finished with Misty's final shoe and walked around to her head. "Alright, girl. You're done. Go and be with Spencer.

He watched Misty trot away towards Spencer and he chuckled as he sat on one of the bales of hay. Gabriella was being incredible. She finally believed that she was safe, that Austin couldn't come back. Things were better with the divorce now that Meaghan and Jack were on 'okay' terms. Troy had left Gabriella to take Kaden over to Taylor's while he worked on the ranch. Jack was over with the cows and Mike was fixing some fencing around the horse's paddock. He didn't know where Lucille was but he was willing to bet that she was with Jack.

Mike climbed over the fence and sat on a bale of hay near Troy. He leaned his elbows on his knees as he watched the horses in the paddock.

"Mikey, can I help you?" Troy asked, flicking his brother's ear.

Mike swatted Troy's hand away. "I just wanted to take a little break. Is that alright?"

Troy shrugged. "I suppose. How's Jenny?"

Mike smiled slightly. "She's good. Scared about college. You know, I'm at U of A, she's going to Vanderbilt...I can't help but worry as well."

Troy frowned. "She's crazy about you. You're crazy about her, too, right?"

Mike nodded. "I think...I think I love her, Troy."

"Man, you're really concerned, aren't you? You haven't told her, have you?" Troy realised.

Mike shook his head. "Troy, you've been in love, does it feel like you're about to be sick? But, better."

Troy frowned at his brother's description. "Sort of. For me, when I fell in love with Ellie and now with Gabi, it feels like there's a tornado of butterflies in my stomach that won't settle. Waking up next to the woman you love, Mikey, is the greatest thing in the world." He turned to Mike. "Remember winning the championship? You held the trophy in your hands and there's that rush of perfectness. Did you feel that?"

Mike nodded. "Of course. Like it can't get any better."

"Well, it can," Troy exclaimed. "Being in love is like in those sappy romance movies where there's a bright light and a chorus singing but it's so much better."

Mike nodded with a slight smile on his face. "That's exactly how I feel around Jenny. Like she's the centre of my world."

Troy clapped Mike on the shoulder. "My baby brother is in love you. Man, you need to tell her before you graduate, otherwise, she'll think there's no hope."

Mike nodded. "That makes sense." He turned to his brother. "Now I understand why you talked about Ellie so damn much. So, what's your deal?"

"My deal? Am I supposed to know what that means?" Troy asked.

Mike rolled his eyes. "I mean with Gabi. She told me you've barely said two words to her this morning."

Troy nodded seriously. "I know," he whispered. "Mike, can I tell you something, please?"

Mike searched Troy's eyes for something that would give it away. "Of course."

"I'm going to ask Gabi to marry me," he whispered.

"Really?" Mike asked in shock.

"Well, yeah. I know it's only been a short while but I need her." Troy shrugged. "I love her."

Mike smiled. "That's cool."

"Be my best man?" Troy asked seriously.

Mike nodded. "Of course. You didn't have to ask."

"I know. But I wanted to," Troy said quietly. "Mike, while we're in the middle of a sort of heart to heart, I want you know that I love you. I know that we've got quite a big age gap and maybe we haven't always gotten along but I do care about you. When Dad said about the divorce, I worried about Kaden, sure, but I worried about you, too. I didn't know how you would react."

Mike nudged his brother's shoulder. "Love you, too, bro." They were quiet for a minute before Mike turned to him. "You nervous?"

"Hell yeah. I know you were young but do you remember how I was before I proposed to Ellie?" Troy asked.

Mike thought about it as Spencer trotted over to him. Mike smiled as he reached up to pat the horse's nose. "Yeah. I do. You were acting weird. All you seemed to do was ride Misty all the time. You wouldn't play basketball or baseball or anything."

Troy nodded. "Yeah. I couldn't think of anything but wanting her to be my wife."

"You're not going to go completely insane this time, are you?" Mike asked jokingly.

Troy laughed. "No. I can't go insane. I've got Kaden to think about."

The sound of a car pulling up caught their attention and they looked out of the paddock to see Gabriella's car coming to a stop. "And there's the googly eyes," Mike muttered.

Troy whacked his brother over the head as he stood up. "Shut up. Not one word to Gabi."

Mike stood up and patted Spencer's back. "Yeah, yeah." He followed Troy towards the fencing and watched Gabriella un strap Kaden from the back seat.

"Daddy!" Kaden exclaimed as he began climbing the fence.

"Whoa, champ, come here," Troy said as he picked Kaden up and rested him on his hip. "Did you enjoy your morning with Naomi?"

"Of course. Gabi and Auntie Taylor let us play in the paddling pool for a while," he said excitedly.

"Wow, that sounds like fun," Troy said absently as his eyes landed on Gabriella. His breathed hitched as she flung her hair back and placed some sunglasses over her eyes. His eyes couldn't help wandering over her body and he drank in the sight of her in a pink strapless summer dress. It was pink with small white dots and a white ribbon around her waist, highlighting her figure.

"Googly eyes," Mike murmured in a sing-song voice.

Troy glared at him. "Shut up."

Gabriella walked up to the fence and leaned over to kiss Troy in greeting. "Hey. What have you boys been up to?"

Troy and Mike turned to each other. "Well," Troy started.

"You know," Mike continued.

"I took care of the horses and Mike was fixing the fence is all," Troy explained.

"Something's up," Gabriella concluded. "What happened?"

Troy shook his head. "Nothing. I promise. We were just talking about stuff." Neither Bolton brother was willing to admit to anybody that they had had a serious conversation about love. Troy reached out and kissed her forehead. "Don't be worried. It's nothing bad."

"Alright then. Well, I'm going to call the gang over. We should tell them about Austin," Gabriella explained. "They'll be happy."

"Happy?" Mike exclaimed. "They should be overjoyed."

"Thank you, Mike. I'll be in the house if you need me. Are you staying here, Kaden?" Gabriella asked.

Kaden nodded. "Yeah, I will. Thanks for this morning, Gabi."

Gabriella kissed his cheek. "You're welcome, sweetie. I'm just so proud. I'll see my three favourite boys later, okay?" She kissed Kaden's cheek, then Mike's and then turned to Troy. "You be careful, okay? You need to take a break at some point. I don't want you over working or anything." She smiled. "I'll be making some lunch soon so come inside when you're ready." She kissed him gently. "I love you," she whispered, stroking his cheek.

"Hold that thought," Troy said as he turned to Mike. "Mike, can you take Kaden over to Misty and Spencer, please? I want to talk to Gabi alone."

Mike took his nephew off Troy. "Googly eyes," he whispered.

"Stop it," Troy warned as he flicked Mike's ear again.

"Yeah, yeah," he said dismissively as he walked towards the horses.

Troy expertly climbed over the fence and immediately took Gabriella into his arms. He buried his face into her hair and simply held her for a while. Her arms were wrapped loosely around his waist, her eyes shut in serenity.

She pulled back and pushed her sunglasses onto her head so that she could look into his eyes. "What's this about?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing really. I just wanted to make sure there haven't been any delayed reactions after yesterday."

She shrugged, locking her hands loosely behind his waist. "Nope. I'm fine. Tay and I were just talking about Kaden and Naomi. You and Chad got a little mention, too."

Troy raised an eyebrow. "I love you," he whispered, kissing her gently.

She pulled back and smiled. "I love you, too. I don't know what's on your mind but you can tell me."

He nodded. "I know that. And I will tell you. Soon. I promise."

* * *

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open and she groaned when she saw everyone staring at her. "What happened?" she asked through a yawn.

"Go to bed," Troy ordered gently, nudging her off his lap. He glanced at his friends who were crowded in his living room and stood up with Gabriella.

"Why are you so tired?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella shrugged. "Emotionally drained is my best guess. I mean, I find out Austin almost stole all my money and now he's been arrested."

Troy pushed her out of the living room. He rested his hands on her shoulders. "Go to bed," he said sternly. He kissed her lips softly. "Go."

"Alright," she mumbled quietly and turned to go up the stairs.

Troy turned back into the lounge. He turned to his friends, thanking the lord that Kaden and Naomi were both asleep upstairs. He smiled at everyone who was staring at him. "I think you guys should go now. It's pretty late."

Kelsi sighed, a hand resting on her stomach. "Troy, be honest. Is she okay?"

Troy nodded confidently. "She's never been better. She's confident, she's happy and...I guess she's relieved. I mean, after everything, it's finally ending. What she said is true. I think it's just exhaustion."

Chad grinned. "I bet she's exhausted because you were a little too busy last night."

Taylor rolled her eyes and stood up to hug Troy. "Ignore my husband. We'll go. You need some rest, too."

Troy released Taylor and looked at all of his friends. "You know, she's been incredible with Kaden today. He found the sheet with her details on it, he cut his hand and she fixed it. As if she's been a mother years. It's as if she's finally seeing Kaden and not what her baby could've been." He paused and looked at his friends. "I love her. I want her forever."

Chad smiled softly. "We know. We've never seen you this happy since Ellie was here."

Troy ran a hand over his face and nodded. "I know that. These past three years have been hard on everybody, not just me and Kaden. You all loved Ellie like a sister."

"Man, we know how she was your entire world. You have a right to suffer more than we did," Zeke said softly and there were murmurs of agreement from everyone else.

Jason wrapped Kelsi in his arms. "I can't imagine life without Kelsi."

Troy smiled. "I know. And now, I can't imagine life without Gabi. She's an amazing mom for Kaden and I need her just like she needs me." He took a deep breath. "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"Really?" Jason asked after a brief silence.

Sharpay stood up and whacked Jason over the head.

"Ow!" Jason exclaimed. "What did I do now?"

"I could've told you that Troy was going to propose the first night he met Gabriella," Sharpay exclaimed.

"Really?" Troy asked slowly.

Sharpay hugged him and shrugged as she pulled back. "You should've seen her reaction when she first saw you. And you...Troy, you barely took your eyes off her the entire evening."

He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. I know I didn't. So, are you guys okay with me asking her to marry me?"

"Are you kidding?" Ryan exclaimed as he jumped up and put his green hat on Troy's head. "If it means that there's another hurdle for that bastard from hell, we're thrilled. I think I speak for everybody when I say that Ellie would be extremely pleased that you love a woman so much that you want to remarry."

Troy chuckled at the memory of earlier that morning and looked at all of his friends. "You guys don't know how it feels. We all hate Austin for what he did to her but every night, I lie awake, just feeling her beside me and listening to her breathing. I'm afraid to close my eyes for even a second because," he paused to laugh shakily and wipe his eyes, "I'm terrified that she'll go back to Austin. I know in my head that she won't and I know it's stupid but he's so close, here in Albuquerque, and I just..." He trailed off and just let the tears fall.

Zeke rose to his feet and embraced his friend tightly. He pulled back and clapped Troy on the shoulder. "I know, Troy. Sharpay is such a magnificent woman, it wouldn't take much searching to find a guy better than me." He paused. "Does she know?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. She does."

"Did she say anything?" Chad asked.

Troy shrugged. "What can she say? Anyway, I think you guys should go. It's pretty late." He saw all of his friends out and then trudged upstairs. He went into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth and then went into the bedroom. He smiled softly when he saw Gabriella in one of his shirts and some pyjama pants with Kaden and Naomi sleeping beside her. Troy stripped down to his boxers and climbed in next to Kaden. Kaden rolled over and cuddled into him.

The blonde little boy opened his eyes and smiled at Troy. "Hi Daddy," he whispered.

Troy stroked his hair, smiling tiredly. "Hey. What are you doing in here?"

"Naomi had a bad dream but Gabi made it better," he explained.

Troy smiled. He looked across and saw Naomi nestled into Gabriella's side. He looked back to his son. "Kaden, you know that I love your mommy, right?"

Kaden nodded. "Yeah, I do. You said you'll never stop, even though you love Gabi."

"I love them both the same," Troy murmured. "I want to ask you something serious, okay?"

"Okay," Kaden whispered.

Troy swallowed and held Kaden tighter. "Would it be okay with you if I asked Gabi to marry me?"

Kaden paused for a second. "So she'd be my mommy, right?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. She would."

"That would be awesome," Kaden whispered in awe.

"Awesome?" Troy asked unsurely.

"I heard Uncle Mike say it," Kaden murmured.

Troy chuckled quietly. "Of course. So it would be okay?"

Kaden nodded confidently. "Yeah."

"Thank you." Troy kissed Kaden's forehead and they both settled down to go to sleep.

Troy sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he looked across at Gabriella. Soon...she would have all the happiness Troy had to offer.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: This took an awful long time but I loved writing it and it really pushed my talent, I think, to a new level. Over 5000 words here and it took 10 pages. I remember way back when 10 pages meant 1000 words. One more chapter left but I don't know when it'll be finished because my exams are next week :( Not good.**

**This chapter is dedicated to my grandparents. It was my birthday last week (17 - I'm legal on the road!) and it was the first birthday without either of my grandparents and I was writing this at the time. One particular part means a lot to me and I sincerely hope you enjoy this.**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Troy sipped his coffee absentmindedly as he kept his eyes locked on the lane coming from the highway. He kept hoping to see Jack's jeep but nothing came. It was the same old dusty lane he'd seen every day since he was born. His friends were chatting amongst themselves but he couldn't concentrate on any one conversation at all. Since Jack and Gabriella had driven off this morning, he had stood there patiently at the window, only leaving to get more coffee or to go to the bathroom. All he could think about was his Gabriella fighting for their home.

The strange thing with life is that no matter who you're in love with, who you fight with or who dies, the world keeps spinning, clocks keep ticking and, quite frankly, time marches on. Time has no concept for grief when you want time to speed up. It has no concept of love when you want time to slow down. It just keeps going and you just have to wait. So that was what Troy was doing. That's what Troy had been doing since he was sixteen. When he was sixteen, he fell in love with Ellie and wished time would just stop so that they could be together forever. Then, when she passed away, he didn't know what he wanted. He wanted time to go slower so that he could have more time with Kaden but he wanted time to speed up so that he wouldn't have to suffer too badly.

Why are people always worrying about time?

He sighed. Things were changing. Finally. He and Gabriella had an honest chance at happiness and that's what he wanted. Things were moving forward and he knew that it was time for him to let go of things that had been holding him back from everything. He couldn't live that way anymore and he wasn't willing to make Gabriella live like that either. He knew that the past would also be there, but the future would always be there, too. And now, instead of dwelling on the past, he had to focus on his future with Gabriella and Kaden. Nobody expected him to forget everything and he knew he couldn't. But he couldn't let those memories run his life anymore. He admired Gabriella. A lot. Once their relationship had been fully declared 'serious', she had been completely focussed on Troy and Kaden and yet, he was still talking to an imaginary vision of his dead wife.

Damn. If he said that out loud, he'd be locked in a mental asylum.

He set his cup on the mantel, turned to his friends and sighed. "Excuse me," he murmured as he made his way towards the hallway.

"You okay?" Chad asked.

Troy nodded. "Yeah. I just need to do something important." He turned away from his bewildered friends and went upstairs to his bedroom. He opened his closet and reached up to the top shelf to take down the cardboard box that was, almost literally, filled with his life. He looked down on the photo album, yearbooks, Ellie's jewellery, and even one of Ellie's shirts. He went over to his dresser and opened one of the drawers, taking out all of the photo frames he'd stowed there when he'd taken them all down the first night he'd slept with Gabriella in this very room. He began placing them all in the cardboard box along with his other memories and counted all of the photos. Fifteen. On the night he'd made love to Gabriella for the first time in this house, there had been fifteen pictures of Ellie in the bedroom. He supposed, for that reason, that night could've been a lot better for Gabriella.

He looked down on the box. He was ready. He looked at the picture of their wedding day on his bedside cabinet and knew that he couldn't do that. He couldn't take his wedding picture down. But, he concluded, one picture was better than fifteen. He carried the box out of the bedroom and stared at the door at the end of the landing. He almost felt scared at the thought of walking though that door. The wood was darker than the other doors. It was the only place that hadn't been renovated when Troy and Ellie moved in. He gripped the box with a death-like grip as he slowly crossed the landing.

"Troy? You okay?" Sharpay yelled from the living room.

Troy paused and rolled his eyes. He could just picture his friends worrying about him and wondering what the hell he was doing upstairs. He could see them all discussing whether they should go upstairs and see if he was okay and then Sharpay, being her usual I-can't-stand-up-when-I-have-a-voice-like-mine self, decided to just yell the whole of Albuquerque down.

"Shar, that isn't what we meant," he heard Taylor exclaim.

Troy smiled to himself. "Guys, I'm fine. I'll be back down soon," he yelled back.

He balanced the box with one arm as he opened the door. He stared at the impending staircase before him and took a deep breath. "Please, Lord, give me strength, give me courage," he mumbled a quiet prayer.

Before he lost the much needed courage, he slowly climbed the stairs. It seemed a lifetime since he last set foot in the attic and he knew it would be a while, perhaps when Kaden was old enough to comprehend his mother's death, until he set foot in there again. He emerged in the dusty loft and set the box the floor. He wandered around the space, taking down cobwebs and wiping his hands over surfaces. Three years' worth of dirt and still he thought everything looked beautiful. He slowly turned around and saw the mannequin in the far corner that was covered by a sheet that was discoloured by time. He walked towards it and reached out, taking a fistful of material in his hand. He slowly pulled the sheet from the mannequin, coughing violently at the dust which fell from the sheet. When he regulated his breathing, he smiled to himself. Not one single dust particle on the dress which the mannequin was wearing.

Ellie's wedding dress.

He reached out and traced the beads which had been sewn so carefully across the chest section, then he felt the lace across the torso and finally the white silk material which flared out to her feet. She had looked like an angel, standing there at the back of the church. Her blonde hair had been pinned up, letting a few ringlets frame her face. A silver cross, which had been her mother's, had hung around her neck and a bunch of white roses had been held in her hands.

Troy's eyes watered. When she had entered the church, looking like an angel, their eyes had connected and all they could do was smile at each other. And when they had recited their vows, traditional, of course, and said 'I do', all Troy could do was grin because she was finally his wife. His wife, Eloise Bolton.

Troy wiped his eyes and then draped the sheet back over her dress. He wandered back over to the box he had carried up and began setting the pictures on every available surface. He set her jewellery box on one of the tables and lifted the lid. A tiny ballerina figurine popped up on a spring and began turning around whilst an old piece of piano music played in the background. It had been given to Ellie by his parents when they moved in together. She would sit at her dresser and, more often than not, Troy would simply watch her as she arranged her hair and then chose what jewellery to wear. He picked up some of the necklaces, holding them up in the air and admiring their beauty. As he was about to shut the jewellery box, he spotted something that made him stop. He reached in and pulled out a crumpled envelope. He sat down slowly on the floor and blew the dust from the envelope. He saw his name in Ellie's handwriting and tore the seal, taking out the single piece of paper.

He read the date in the top right hand corner and realised she had written it the day before their wedding.

_Dearest Troy,_

_If you've found this letter, it means that I'm gone. I'm sat here, writing this, knowing that at some point in the future, I will die. Tomorrow, I will be Eloise Bolton and you cannot imagine the excitement I am feeling. I know you've always been faithful to me but I think I can be just a little selfish by wanting a wedding ring on your finger to put off all of those girls at Berkeley._

_This feeling is strange. In September, we're heading off to college as Mr and Mrs Bolton. I feel like everything is changing but at the same time, everything's staying the same. I've never asked for much from this world. The only thing I have asked for is you. And tomorrow, you'll be mine forever._

_I love you._

_You have to know that before you read the rest of this letter. I don't know how I'm going to die but I hope that I will have left some children for you to remember me by._

_I know it won't be easy. I know it won't be easy for me if I lose you first. But you have to promise me you will not give up, okay? I know you and I know you'll love me forever and I'll love you, too. But you have to live your life like you've only got one day to live. You have to take chances and risks and I know that you'll never leave Albuquerque but try to be a little adventurous every now and then._

_Don't be afraid just because I'm not there. I'll protect as best as I can and I'll help you but sometimes you need to brave and do things for yourself. You can do it if you just believe in yourself as much as I do._

_If I'm dead and we haven't been married long, I don't expect you to live the rest of your life being lonely. If you feel you're ready and you love her and treat her like you treated me and she treats you exactly how you deserve to be treated, and she loves you, too, I want you to marry her as soon as you can. No matter who she is, she won't hang around and wait forever until you make up your mind whether to let me go or not. If you truly love another woman, don't live in the past just to be with me. It won't be fair on her and you know it._

_I suppose I should get some rest now. Early rise in the morning. I'll see you at the altar tomorrow._

_Live every day like it's your last. Stay true to that because that's what I want you to do._

_I love you. Forever and always_

_Trust your heart, Troy Bolton._

_Eloise Bolton_

_xxx_

Troy held the letter to his chest as he curled up and cried into his knees. He'd heard her whispering in his ear as if she was right there with him. He couldn't think of anything but the truth. What Ellie had written was perfectly true. All Gabriella had done was love him and he had been in a constant dilemma. The more he was with Gabriella, the less he could be with Ellie. Now it was time to choose which life he wanted.

He didn't know if it should've been easy but it was. He hadn't been fair on Gabriella at all. The first time they'd made love in his house, pictures of Ellie had been everywhere. While she had simply gained strength from Troy, he couldn't stop thinking about Ellie. She hadn't frozen in weeks and she was putting everything into the fact that they'd keep the ranch. It was Gabriella now and would stay that way. If he wanted her to stay, and to be his wife, he had to prove to her that he wasn't giving a half-hearted go at their relationship and that he honestly wanted her for the rest of his life.

It was time. He knew it. As he stood up, surveying the mass of Ellie's belongings, he knew that someday, he'd have to give the stuff away. But for now, he'd have to take it one step at a time. He slipped the letter in the envelope and set it next to the jewellery box. He kissed his fingers and touched the enveloped. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

"Goodbye, Ellie," he whispered softly.

He began arranging the rest of Ellie's things around the attic. He slowly turned around and sighed. He'd done it. He'd said goodbye.

He didn't belong up in the attic. He didn't belong with Ellie anymore. He knew that. He picked up the empty box and glanced back at the attic. He smiled wistfully to himself as he turned out the lights and went back downstairs.

* * *

"They're here," Kaden yelled excitedly as he and Naomi raced towards the front door. Kaden reached up and pulled the door open. He waved excitedly as Jack and Gabriella climbed out of the beat up old jeep. Gabriella's hair had been freed from the hair tie and a few buttons of her blouse were undone. Her briefcase was held in her hand and she smiled at Jack before she hugged him. "Gabi," Kaden yelled as he ran out towards her.

"Hold there, little guy," Gabriella said as she smiled and bent down to his level. She hugged him tightly. "How are you, Kaden?"

"I'm good. Naomi's here, too." He wrapped his arms tightly around the little girl.

Gabriella laughed. "I can see that."

"Did you do it? Did you get the ranch?" he asked excitedly.

Gabriella laughed. "I think your daddy should know before you do. But," she started as she reached into her briefcase and pulled out a large, brown envelope. "Kaden, Naomi, I want you to run straight inside and give this to your daddy. Run as fast as you can because he'll be waiting, okay?"

"Okay," they said in unison.

As they reached for the envelope, Gabriella moved it out of reach. "No peeking?"

"No peeking," they promised.

Gabriella sighed and handed it over. "Go on," she murmured as they ran into the house. She turned to Jack as they began walking towards the house. "I hope Troy's okay with the result."

Jack nodded reassuringly. "He'll be fine." They stood in the hallway together, taking off their jackets.

Gabriella pointed towards the kitchen. "I'm going to find Troy." She kissed Jack's cheek and smiled comfortingly. She walked into the kitchen to find Troy stood with Kaden on his hip, opening the envelope. Everybody was crowded around the island, anxiously awaiting the verdict.

Troy took the large piece of paper, more importantly the deed to the ranch, out and read it before his face broke out into a wide grin. He kissed Kaden's head before stuffing the deed under Mike's nose and bringing him forward for a hug. "Mike, it's ours," Troy exclaimed excitedly as they embraced tightly.

Gabriella smiled faintly as she watched the Bolton brothers celebrate together and their friends congratulate them. It finally paid off. All of the worry and concern had been worth it just so that she could see that look of pure bliss and excitement spread across Troy's face. She thought back to when Troy showed her pictures of him and Ellie in high school and he looked exactly like the boy she had seen in those pictures. But, something was different. Something was playing on his mind, despite the good news, and she wanted to know what.

As their friends went back into the lounge, giving Gabriella their praises and congratulations as they passed, Gabriella stepped into the kitchen, making her presence known to the Bolton brothers and Kaden. "Hey," she murmured.

Troy smiled. "So it worked, right? This place is ours?"

Gabriella shrugged, resting her hands on the island counter. "Every part of it. Your dad will keep working here. Mike, he and Troy will deal with finances and supplies until you graduate college but everything's yours. But, you can guarantee that Jack will still have an input until the day he dies."

Jack walked in, loosening his tie and rolling his sleeves up. He grinned, resting a hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "You got that right. You can't get rid of me that easily."

Mike hugged Jack tightly. "Dad, this is incredible," he exclaimed. "Thanks."

Jack shook his head. "I didn't do all that much. It was mostly Gabriella."

Mike moved over to hug Gabriella. He pulled back and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Gabs. You don't know how much place means to us."

"Yeah. I think I do. I'm not going anywhere and I don't think Troy will let me, either, so I like to believe that this is my home, too, and that it'll stay that way," she murmured as she walked over to Troy and kissed him softly in greeting.

"Dude," Mike exclaimed as he hit Troy over the head.

Troy pulled back the kiss and glared. "Mikey. Stop it. You're so immature, you should be back in kindergarten."

"Googly eyes," Mike sang.

Gabriella frowned and glanced at Jack who shrugged. "Troy, what's he talking about?"

At the risk of people discovering the heart-to-heart the two brothers had shared about their significant others, Troy paused for a minute. "Nothing. Mikey's just being a pain again like he's always been. Right, Mikey?"

Mike frowned. "Dang, I hate being the youngest."

"Having an annoying kid brother is no picnic either. Try being the oldest and having to cope with you," Troy exclaimed.

"Well," Mike started before he poked his tongue out.

"Wow," Gabriella said slowly. "I think Kaden is more mature than you."

"Gabi, what does mature mean?" Kaden asked.

"Grown up," she replied.

Kaden grinned up at Troy. "I'm more mature than you," he exclaimed, obviously excited about how he had learnt a new word. He poked Troy's cheek.

Troy nodded and set Kaden on the ground. "That's nice. Go and find Naomi. Do you guys mind if I have a minute with Gabi, please?"

"Ah, suit yourself," Mike concluded. "I don't want to ruin this perfect day by seeing you playing tonsil tennis."

Troy opened his mouth but before he could speak, Jack had steered his youngest son and grandson into the lounge. Troy shook his head to himself. "Kids, who'd have them?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "You do know you have a son, right? And Mikey isn't a kid anymore. He's going to college."

Troy frowned. "He can't," he muttered, leaning against the counter and folding his arms.

"Why not? I thought he was accepted?" Gabriella asked in confusion.

Troy nodded. "He was. He can't go because he's my baby brother."

Gabriella smiled. "That's sweet."

Troy clapped his hands. "Anyway, this isn't about Mikey. Come here." He reached forward, bringing Gabriella into his arms. He kissed her temple as he revelled in the feel of his body against his. "How'd you do it, Gabi?" he whispered.

She closed her eyes in bliss. "It wasn't easy," she admitted, "but I think that Meaghan seeing me as your partner, not her lawyer, helped a lot." She pulled back to look into his eyes. "I meant what I said. This is my home now."

Troy smiled and curled some hair behind her ear. "Exactly how it should be. Sharpay complains because she thinks that Bolton men needs a woman to keep us in place."

She breathed deeply as she tentatively ran her thumb across his forehead. Her eyes danced playfully as she answered, "She's speaking the truth."

Troy chuckled. "I love you," he whispered as he leaned down and kissed her passionately.

Gabriella responded slowly. She had thought that Troy would give some playful, teasing response relating to her hopping skills and the kiss came as a shock to her. Their arms tightened around each other as Gabriella frowned. Whilst she loved Troy's kisses, something had changed and she wasn't exactly sure why. She pulled back. "What is it?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What's wrong?" Gabriella asked.

Troy kissed her forehead and held her tightly in her arms. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

* * *

Troy stepped out onto the back porch and saw Mike sat on the wooden steps, a bottle of beer in his hands. "Hey, Mikey. Can I join you?"

Mike smiled and nodded at his older brother. "Of course."

Troy sat next to him on the steps and looked over at the setting sun. "You admiring our home?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, I am. It's only struck me now that this place is actually really beautiful. It's like what they say, you don't notice what's right in front of you."

Troy smiled. "Yeah. We used to play out in the fields with the animals so much when we were kids. I thought I couldn't wait to see the rest of the world and come back once I graduated college but when I went to California for Berkeley, I realised how much this place is in my blood. I couldn't wait to come back here to smell this place and have the dust and dirt on my truck. Don't get me wrong, California is beautiful but there's something about this place."

"Dad always said to me that if I get the chance to play pro, I have to remember that I can only be happy if I remember where I come from and that home is where the heart is," Mike murmured.

"Well, it's true. As far as I've seen, Albuquerque has two types of people. The type that can't wait to leave this place and never look back and the type like me and dad that never thinks of leaving except for college," Troy said quietly. He paused for a moment. "Have you called Jenny with the news?"

Mike nodded. "She was so happy for me."

Troy nudged his brother's shoulder. "We'll be okay. Don't worry so much."

"Were you scared about college?" Mike whispered.

Troy laughed. "Hell yeah."

"I didn't know. Why were you scared?" Mike asked.

Troy shrugged. "I didn't want things to change. High school was amazing and I know that it seems like the greatest thing in the world when you're in it but things change. You graduate and things will be better, I promise. Especially when you've got someone beside you."

"I told Jenny I love her," Mike admitted. "It was the other day. We were just in my truck together. I was driving her home from school and before she got out, I just said it. It felt like the most natural thing in the world."

Troy smiled. "What did she say?"

"She said she loved me, too." Mike ran a hand through his hair. "Do you really think we'll be okay? You and me?"

Troy nodded. "Of course. No matter what happens in life, we're brothers. We'll always be brothers. I promise."

Mike hugged Troy tightly. "You're the greatest brother in the world."

Troy pulled back and swatted Mike over the head. "Don't go all sissy on me." His face turned serious as he hugged Mike. "You're the greatest brother in the world, too."

* * *

Gabriella sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She was happy and excited that the ranch was now with its rightful owners but she was tired. She was glad it was over and she was happy to be sat in Troy's tree house, with a breeze blowing in her face and the setting sun in front of her. She supposed she should be in the house with everybody else, celebrating and she had been for a while but she just needed some time to herself. It had been a long day and now all she wanted was Troy to be there beside her.

She couldn't help thinking about Troy and his love for her. She felt somewhat guilty for thinking this way but it came to her without any warning. She had to wonder how far Troy's love for Ellie went. She hated having these thoughts. They sounded bitter and heartless but she couldn't stop them. She had gone through enough to account for her selfish thoughts. She was alive and Ellie wasn't. She wanted to be the one Troy focussed on. She wanted to be the only one that Troy thought about.

She rolled her eyes. She knew that was impossible and she didn't expect Troy to just not think about Ellie. She really wouldn't be a good girlfriend if she expected that. But, she wanted him to just love her. No comparisons. None at all. Just...love. She closed her eyes and wiped them with the backs of her hands. It wasn't that she wanted Troy to simply forget Ellie. That was like Troy asking her to forget the feeling of her baby inside of her. She didn't want it to control his life anymore. When he was with her, no one would have guessed what he'd been through and that's the Troy she wanted to see. She didn't want to see him preoccupied like the guy she met for the first time at the shindig. She wanted him to be free and happy with no worries like the guy from the East High yearbooks.

"Hey, are you okay?" Troy asked as he looked down on Gabriella. She had changed into a gorgeous summer dress and was now currently sat on the decking around the tree house, dangling her feet over the edge.

She looked up and smiled at him. "Yeah. Are you going to stand there or sit with me?"

Troy smiled as he sat behind her, allowing her to lean back against his chest. He linked his fingers with hers and then lifted one of her hands to his lips. "I love you so much, Gabi," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting their linked fingers on her stomach.

She smiled as she turned her head, closing her eyes as she breathed in his cologne. "I love you, too."

Troy kissed her temple softly as they savoured the moment of peace they had together. "Why did you come up here by yourself?"

She shrugged as she opened her eyes and tilted her head to look at him. "Things were a bit crowded. I mean, I know they're just celebrating but I guess I wanted some quiet time."

"Do you want me to go?" Troy asked, brushing some curls from her forehead.

She smiled and shook her head. "No." She turned back so that they were both watching the stars. She was quiet for a moment. "I know stars are suns billions of light years away but sometimes it's nice to believe that they're angels, isn't it?"

Troy kissed her temple again, closing his eyes in peace. "Yeah, it is." He paused, letting his lips linger on her skin.

"What happened earlier?" Gabriella asked. "You're different and I want to know why."

Troy sighed. She needed to know. "I decided to do something while you were getting the ranch. I took Ellie's stuff, her pictures and the box from the closet, up to the attic where the rest of her things are. It's been so long and I'm not sure why I waited this long to do it. It's like I've been living two different lives and it's just not possible anymore. I found a letter. She wrote it the day before our wedding and she told me that I have to be brave. I realised I haven't been fair on you through any of this. I mean, the pictures while we made love, the bad days and I'm going to try to make this perfect for you. This is me being brave."

Gabriella's eyes watered. "You don't have to forget her. I mean, you have a right to-"

"Gabi, stop," he interrupted softly. "I know I don't have to forget her. And I won't. But, now I have you to love and that's the way it should be. You're so perfect, you don't mention Austin at all, you just love me and that's it. It's time for it to be about you." He kissed her temple and felt her sigh against his body. He was so proud of her and he loved her more than ever. He felt the weight of the square little box in his jeans pocket and knew that this was it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. "Gabi, remember when you wondered what was on my mind?"

She smiled to herself. "Yeah."

He took her hand and pointed towards a random star. "Do you see that star?"

Gabriella nodded. "Of course."

"If I could, I'd take you to that star and that star and that star," he said moving her hand to point to others. "Because I love you. I was thinking the other day. I was lying in bed one night, just feeling you beside me and if I could make it so that it was just you, me and Kaden, I would because you're both my entire world. That night in bed, I thought that you're the one I want next to me when the world is spinning and the one I want next to me when it stops." He let go of her hand to dig the box out of his pocket. He wrapped her fingers around it and then kissed the back of her hand.

"Troy," Gabriella whispered.

"Just do me one favour to make me the happiest man alive," he whispered. "Just one."

"What?" she asked as she stared at the box.

"Marry me," he whispered.

She turned the box over in her hands and inhaled deeply. "I really can't do that," she admitted as she twisted her head to face him.

His face fell a little bit, hurt evident on his face. "Why not?" he asked quietly.

She shrugged nonchalantly and looked back towards the sky. "It's simple, really. I can't marry you because you can't take me to any of those stars without us having to go faster than the speed of light which would probably result in us bursting into flames."

Troy lifted Gabriella up and pulled her further into the tree house. He ignored her giggles and yelps of protest and straddled her hips so that he was looking down on her. "You're so clever, aren't you?" he murmured.

She smiled up at him and shrugged. "I like to think so."

Troy sighed. "So, will you marry me? Only serious answers will be accepted this time."

She laughed in disbelief as she opened the square box and saw the engagement ring sitting there, perfectly. She looked up at him and nodded frantically. "Of course, I will, Cowboy," she exclaimed as she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Troy brought them up into a sitting position and slipped the ring on her finger. "So, Gabi, you really want to marry a cowboy?"

"Only if I'm marrying my cowboy," she whispered as she kissed him. They shuffled to edge again, letting their legs dangle over the edge. She leant against him and sighed. "Kaden said he wants me to be his mommy," she admitted.

"Really?" Troy asked quietly.

Gabriella nodded and tilted her head to see him. "Yeah. That gave me a little bit of confidence as far as maternity is concerned."

"Rightly so," he murmured. "You're brilliant with him. You really are."

They looked down when they heard the screen door open. They saw Jack and Lucille come out and stand facing each other in the back yard. "Oh my god," Gabriella whispered.

"What?" Troy asked quietly.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Just watch." They watched closely as Jack held Lucille's hands and said something softly. Lucille nodded gently and Gabriella squeezed Troy's hand as Jack leaned closer and kissed Lucille softly on the lips. Gabriella turned to Troy and studied his enigmatic expression. "What are you thinking?"

Troy shrugged. "It's true, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"I had a conversation with Ms Darbus, my drama teacher, in my junior year of high school. Chad and I had had a fight and I was so angry. I can't remember why, I just remember feeling sick whenever I saw him. Obviously, we worked things out about a day later." He chuckled. "But Ms Darbus told me that everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. I never really believed it before now."

Gabriella smiled up at him. "I'm glad you do," she whispered. "Now it's just us and things will be okay just like you promised."

Troy chuckled and leaned down to kiss her softly, knowing that although he didn't know what would happen in the future, he could take comfort from the ranch and everybody who lived there.


	30. Epilogue

**A/N: Well...I'm sorry. My exams...I had to edit this ten million times...drama at home... It sort of delayed my writing just a little bit.**

**So, grab the tissues. This is it. It's over. After a lot of struggle, whining and writer's block, it's here. There are more promos on youtube, just type in 'With Me Through Adversity'.**

**totally dedicated to xLeeRamdomx she has been amazing. She believes in me and helped me come this far. so...thanks, Lee :) I'm glad I make you proud.**

**So...enjoy :)

* * *

**

Life was good.

That's what Gabriella believed and that's what she said everyday and Troy usually agreed with her unless he had had to deal with annoying pet owners. But, usually, they'd crawl into bed together, hold each other, kiss and whisper to each other what they love most about their lives. They made love as often as they could but, that wasn't all that much. As Kaden was growing up, quicker than they both liked, they only made love when they had the house to themselves. So, they took advantage of their friends so they could spend some nights together.

Through the weeks following the engagement, Gabriella had worked hard for her case against Austin and, unsurprisingly, won. Austin was sent to jail for fifteen years, which wasn't near long enough according to Troy, and a restraining order so that Austin couldn't be within thirty feet of Gabriella.

Gabriella stretched her stiff back muscles and ran a hand through her hair. She was sat in the barn, on a hay bale at the back, with a book. What a peaceful morning. No cases. No work. Just her and a good book. She sometimes missed her high school days where her only commitments were to books and her studies. But, as soon as those thoughts came, they disappeared when she remembered the wonderful life she had come to live. She would rather die than give it all up.

She flicked mindlessly through her book and a tiny slip of paper fell out. She laughed to herself and set the book aside.

_Your hair smells like strawberries_

She folded it neatly and slipped it into her pocket. Troy had been doing this ever since they were married. He would slip tiny notes of paper into her clothes, books, pillows, even her lunch box when he made her lunch for work. They would say a reason why he loved her. Through the three years they'd been married, they were always different. She kept them in a little box in her bedside cabinet and she quite often sat up awake at night, Troy sleeping beside her, re-reading them all. She had once counted one thousand and ninety five slips of paper. One reason for each day they'd been together. And that was about two months ago so she knew there'd be a lot more by now.

She lay back on the hay bale and closed her eyes, savouring the moments she had left. Troy would be back with...him. She loved him with all of her heart but it was hard to keep her sanity with him around. It was so peaceful. So quiet. The only thing that could possibly make it any better would be if Troy was next to her, holding her in his strong arms. She smiled to herself when she heard Troy's truck come to a stop and a few doors shut.

"No, don't run in. Mommy's having some peace and quiet!" Troy yelled.

Gabriella giggled to herself, keeping her eyes closed. Troy tried his best, she knew he did. He tried so hard. He knew that she was always on her feet. She was always working or cooking or cleaning. He tried to make her moments of peace last as long as possible but someone always interrupted.

She felt someone pull her hair and poke her cheek. "Mommy," a voice whispered softly.

Gabriella reached out and pulled the small body next to her on the hay bale, tickling him. "Ah, I've got you." She stopped tickling them and allowed them to snuggle into her. "Mi ángel." **(A/N: My angel) **She kissed Kaden's head. Kaden, her beautiful son. Since she had officially adopted him, he was her pride and joy. She loved him more than she thought possible and she knew it was reciprocated.

Gabriella looked up and saw Troy's head leaning over hers. "Hello," he murmured. "Sorry to interrupt. I tried to stop him."

She smiled and shrugged. "I heard. It's okay. I was just resting my eyes."

He rolled his eyes and kissed her sweetly.

"Eew!" Kaden cringed, squeezing his eyes shut.

Gabriella laughed. "Sorry, mi hijo." **(A/N: My son)**

Troy straightened up and touched Kaden's head. "Go on, K. I want to talk to Mommy."

Kaden kissed Gabriella's cheek and scrambled away to go and play with the hay and straw. Gabriella sat up and leaned forward so that Troy could sit behind her, his legs either side of her. She relaxed against him, allowing his arms to wind around her waist. "Was Kaden okay at school?"

He smiled and kissed her temple. "Everything was fine. And, more importantly, how was your quiet day?"

"Quiet. Until now," she joked. She paused. "My hair smells of strawberries?"

Troy chuckled and smiled into her neck. "Yes it does." He kissed her neck gently. He closed his eyes. "Te amo, Gabi."

She twisted her head to face him. "Te amo, Troy," she whispered.

Troy kissed her gently. He pulled back and they faced forward to watch Kaden play. It seemed odd that a child could have so much pleasure out of something as simple as hay. "You know, I sometimes lie in bed at night and just listen to you breathing.

She rolled her eyes, snuggling into his safe embrace. "I know you do."

"Can't help it," he mumbled into her neck. "You're mine."

She nodded to herself. "Of course I am."

He twisted her body so that he could look into her eyes. "I sometimes wonder how you can possibly exist."

She reached up and touched his cheek with her hand. "You're the most beautiful man I have ever met." She kissed him deeply and then pulled back.

Troy smiled at her, a hand resting lightly on her stomach. "I love you so much."

* * *

Gabriella walked out to the back yard where she saw Troy and Kaden playing basketball together. She waved at Troy and smiled when he excused himself from the game and jogged over to her. He kissed her in greeting. "Hey, are you okay? Something's on your mind," he said suspiciously.

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine. Listen, I have to go someplace."

Troy frowned and rubbed her arms gently. "Do you want me to come with you? I mean, I don't want you straining yourself."

Gabriella laughed and kissed him chastely. "Of course not. I wouldn't take you away from him," she murmured as she pointed over his shoulder to Kaden. I know you want to take care of me and I appreciate it...most of the time." She shrugged. "But, you need to spend time with him, let him know that nothing will change."

Troy looked up towards the sky, mumbling to himself as if wondering what he should do. His heart told him that Gabriella was right and that he should stay with Kaden. But his head was telling him that he should go with Gabriella. He turned back to her and opened his mouth before closing it again.

She folded her arms and raised his eyebrows. "Don't," she murmured. "I know what you're thinking and I don't like it. I'm fine. Nothing will happen, I promise."

"How can you promise that? What if you collapse again and-"

Gabriella pressed a finger over his lips. She frowned at him. "I thought we agreed no worrying. You said, and I quote, 'Worrying gets us nowhere,' unquote." She wrapped her arms around him. "Please?"

Troy sighed. "I'm not happy about it but you're right. I won't worry at all. Take as long as you need." He brushed the hair from her face. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too."

Troy turned to Kaden. "Hey, K, I'm just going to see Mommy off, will you be okay for a couple of minutes?"

Kaden nodded and dropped the basketball. He ran across the basketball court to hug Gabriella softly. "Bye, Mommy."

Gabriella smiled. "Bye, Sweetie. I'll be back soon."

Troy made sure Kaden was happy playing with his basketball before he took Gabriella's hand and led her inside. At the front door, Troy kissed her. "I have my cell phone. If you need me."

"Troy, you have to understand why I'm asking for you to let me go somewhere by myself," she murmured.

Troy nodded reluctantly. "I know. I'll see you later, okay?"

Gabriella smiled. "Of course." She kissed him softly. "I love you."

"I love you," he murmured. He waved her off before he retreated into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. He honestly had no clue where Gabriella was going. He wasn't worried. Albuquerque was tiny, if anything was wrong, somebody would see and call Troy. He leant against the kitchen counter as he took a swig from his water bottle. He assumed he was visiting Sharpay or Taylor. It wouldn't surprise him at all.

He looked towards the island and frowned. He walked over and set his bottle on the counter. He looked down on the letter lying there, next to the discarded envelope. That made sense. If he was piecing everything together correctly, and he was pretty sure he was, he knew exactly where Gabriella had gone. He wasn't mad at all. He should've guessed that someday she'd go there but he hadn't realised exactly how much of a relief it would be. Since their marriage, the topic of Ellie had been strictly reserved for Troy and Kaden.

Ellie's letter stared up at him and Troy smiled to himself. "Take care of my girl," he whispered.

* * *

Gabriella walked towards the gravestone which was, essentially, Kaden's mother. She stared down at it in sorrow. The stone was clean, the caretakers obviously took pride in their job. A few blades of grass were a bit long around the edges and she knelt down to tug them out. The stone still looked new despite how it had been six years but she knew that, given time, it would become worn and weathered and, given even more time, would ultimately become illegible. And that wasn't fair. Not just for Ellie. It wasn't fair for anybody. Everybody deserved to be remembered.

Gabriella took a deep breath and let a lone tear fall. "Hi Ellie. I'm Gabriella." She rubbed her slightly rounded stomach. "I've got someone I want you to meet. This will be Elliana. I named her after you."


	31. AN

**A/N:**

**This is just one final update I could not resist posting.**

**I just want to thank each and every one of you who reviewed. This story has really pushed me but one of those reasons why it pushed me is because I wanted this to be perfect. I wanted this story to be one that people said 'wow. she's a good writer'. So thank you for reading it and the reviews, too. The ones on the final chapter made me cry (in a good way, I promise!) so thank you.**

**I can almost guarantee there won't be a sequal. They almost never work for me. But, who knows? Maybe I'll try to think of one :)**

**I am working on a new story at the minute. It's a bit different to what I usually write (it's still HSM, it's still a romance...but it's not set in Albuquerque). There won't be an update for a while though because I won't to have at least six chapters before I upload it (I won't feel as guilty when i get reviews of 'update soon')**

**BUT, I am taking this story much more seriously than my past ones. I'm taking the time to think about the plot and character development in each chapter and I re-read it and edit it and make sure it's as perfect as it can be for the time being. This means that I sort of want real reviews. For this next story (the working title is 'Serendipity' - courtesy of xLeeRamdomx) I want more than simply 'update soon', please. Please tell me what I did well but what I did wrong. I like long, waffly reviews because they let me know that you actually enjoy reading my stuff.**

**So, anyway, on a final note, I just want to say that you guys are the best readers in the world. You've coped with a really bad update schedule and a load of other stuf...so thanks :)**

**See you soon  
**


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